The Fight for Love
by LovableL101
Summary: America knows that she loves Maxon and she wants to spend the rest of her life with him. What happens though when the King decides that he will do anything to get rid of America once and for all? Takes place after "The Elite."
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! This is my first story and I hope that everyone enjoys it. I really want to try to put a chapter out a day, but no promises. Please review, favorite, and follow. All reviews are welcome! Feel me to PM me if you want and I promise to respond as quickly as possible. Happy reading!**

The sun streamed through my open balcony door, as I woke up stretching. Today was the day that I would finally begin to earn Maxon's trust back. I knew that I had a long road ahead of me, but it was a road that I was willing to follow to ensure that I got to spend the rest of my days with the man I loved.

My maids came into my room shortly after I woke up. Their faces are filled with tentative smiles, as if unsure if they want to bring up the previous days events. I quickly plaster a fake smile on my face in order to reassure them. "Hello, ladies. Ready for another day?"

Lucy is the first to step towards me. "Of course. We had better get you ready if you want to impress the prince," she says with a wink. Anne scurries into the bathroom to start my bath and Mary goes over to my closet to pick out my outfit for the day.

Mary returns from the closet with a garment bag. She tries to conceal it from me, which makes me curious about what could be hiding in the bag. "What do you have there?" I ask. The girls are completely invested in me winning the competition and I hope that I will not let them down.

Mary looks at me a coy smile and hangs the dress on the back of one of the chairs. "You will just have to wait to find out," she says. "Now hurry up and go take your bath so that we can begin getting you ready." I rush into the bathroom hoping that the faster I get ready the faster I will be able to go down to breakfast to see Maxon. Although we had only been separated for a few hours, my heart still ached to see him again.

The warm bath is just what I needed after my confrontation with the king last night. The bubbles in the water release wonderful scents that mix perfectly with the shampoo that is rubbed into my hair. Before I know it the water has turned cold and it is time to dry off. I slip on my silk robe and enter back into my bedroom to continue getting ready. "Alright ladies, work your magic."

My maids are experts at getting me ready and once my makeup is applied and my hair is done I step into the most beautiful dress I have ever seen. The dress is strapless and white with a beaded bodice. The sweetheart neckline emphasizes my chest and the long swirling fabric allows me to feel elegant without even trying. When I look into the mirror I see a princess, and a future queen, looking back at me. A tear rolls down my cheek, as I think about what becoming princess would mean, spending the rest of my life with Maxon.

Anne sees the tear running down my cheek and quickly brushes it away. "We don't want to ruin your makeup," she says with a smile. "Better get down to breakfast."

Lucy runs over to open my bedroom door and I exit smiling at the guards as I leave. They both nod politely at me, and I remember both of their names, Officer Johnson and Officer Patrick. The hallway is empty as I walk down in and I marvel in the true beauty of the palace. I eventually reach the dining room doors and my heart beats with the anticipation of what is waiting for me behind the doors. The guards in front of me open the door and I step through.

As I enter everyone turns to look at me. The look of jealousy is clear on Celeste's face, and a hint of jealousy can even be seen on Kriss's face. Elise just looks at me with a small smile on her face. I can't help but look at the royal family and find that Maxon is looking at me with a look of total adoration. He slowly reaches up to tug his ear and I return the gesture with a grin. The grin quickly falls off of my face when I see the king glaring at me from his spot next to the queen.

Once I reach the table I allow myself to relax a bit and help myself to some of the pancakes in the middle of the table. Just as a I place a large bite into my mouth the king decides that it is the opportune time to question me.

"So, America I see that you have yet to give up on your obsession with food," he remarks with a smirk. "Better be careful, we wouldn't want you to get fat."

Once I have thoroughly chewed and swallowed my food I respond to his remark. "Of course your highness, I know how important appearances are to you. Why else would Lady Celeste be here?" I suddenly stop realizing what I had just said. Kriss stares at me with wide eyes, while Elise tries to cover up her laugh with her hand. Celeste of course just glares at me, which isn't any different than how she usually looks at me. All I can do is stare down at my plate waiting for the king to reprimand me again.

"Well Lady America, at least Lady Celeste is good for something, unlike you," the king says with a scowl.

"Father," Maxon says, "I am sure that Lady America did not mean what she said. It was probably just an accident."

The king stands up and begins to exit the room, but as he does he leaves Maxon with one more command. "Watch that girl Maxon, I only have so much patience."

Great, in one sentence I had managed to infuriate the king and dig myself an even bigger grave than before.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Ride

**Enjoy the new chapter everyone! Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review. Always feel free to PM me too with any thoughts of what you would like to see in the story.**

After the king exited, the room was filled with nothing but silence. I quickly finished eating and bowed to the queen and Maxon, before making more exit. My heart hadn't stopped pounding since my remark about Celeste, and I feared for my own safety, as well as Maxon's. As I walk down the hallway I see the one person who I definitely did not want to see.

"Hello Lady America," Aspen says with a sly grin on his face. I reply only with a nod of my head and continue on my way. Aspen was once my love, but I have moved on and I need to cut all of my ties from him. He will always own a small piece of my heart, but Maxon owns the rest and that will never change.

I approach the doors leading to the garden and am able to glimpse a bit of the sun that I saw streaming into my room earlier. The guards quickly open the doors for me and I leave both of them with a quick thank you before entering the gardens. I breathe in deeply, smelling the fresh cut grass and the flowers that line the sidewalk. Although the palace inside is beautiful, nothing in the world can compare to the beautiful garden laid out in front of me.

I travel over to the bench where Maxon and I first me, and we shared the incident, which he always seems to find funny. My thoughts begin to drift and I find myself in a place of peace that I had not felt since arriving at the palace those few months ago. Suddenly two arms come up from behind me and wrap around my shoulders. I turn around to see the most gorgeous warm brown eyes I had ever seen.

"Hello my love," Maxon says with a twinkle in his eyes. "How are the outdoors treating you?"

"You know me, anytime spent outdoors is a good time," I respond with a smile. "What are you doing out here? Don't you have a meeting to be at?"

"I decided that I wanted to spend time with my love," Maxon said. "Besides it is not like the advisors listen to anything I have to say in the first place." He runs his hands though his hair, clearly frustrated at how little his opinion is respected.

"I am so sorry about how I behaved at breakfast today. I had no idea what came over me," I say with a sheepish smile. I knew exactly what had come over me, the king, but I decided that I didn't want to make the situation even worse than it already was.

"It's okay. I know how the king can be, and I just loved the look on Celeste's face when you said what you said," Maxon said with a chuckle.

"I just don't want to get you into any trouble with your father," I said while staring down at the ground.

Maxon lifted my chin up to look in his eyes and gently placed a kiss on my lips. He pulled away much too quickly and I just continued to stare into his eyes. "What was that for?" I asked.

"I don't want you to worry so much. I will protect you no matter the cost and please don't worry so much about me. Whatever happens to me is not your fault, it is my father's," he said.

I knew at that moment why I had fallen in love with Maxon. He was so selfless and kind, always thinking of others before himself. I also knew that no matter what he told me it was my job to protect him from his father because no one else was willing to step up to do the job. His safety became my priority and I vowed to myself to do whatever it took to ensure it.

"Anyway, the reason I actually came out here was to take you on a date," Maxon grinned.

"Oh really, and what are we going to do on this date?" I questioned with raised eyebrows. He responded with only a smile and picked me up off of the bench and began walking with my hand in his to an undisclosed location. As we got closer I could smell hay and I saw a stable off in the distance.

"Are you taking me horseback riding?" I inquired.

"Well, I guess the surprise is ruined," he said with a frown. He looked so cute with his eyebrows drawn together and his hair flopping forward into his eyes. I reached up and moved the hair out of his eyes.

"Don't worry, I never liked surprises anyway," I said trying to comfort him. I hated to see Maxon in any type of pain, and tried to prevent it at all costs.

We soon arrived at the stables and were left to tack up our horses. I had never done it before, but Maxon was an expert and was able to help me through it. There was so much equipment that I had never heard of before, like a girth and a bit. Maxon was riding a black stallion and I was riding a brown mare, named Willow.

"Are you ready love?" Maxon asked. I could tell he was a little nervous about me riding a giant horse, but I knew he would protect me from any harm, just as I would do for him.

"Ready whenever you are," I replied. We began to ride our horses out into the arena. Maxon had been riding more a long time so he assisted me with the basics. I noticed the jumps positioned all around the arena and I asked Maxon, "Do you know how to jump?"

"Yeah, I can. Would you like to see me do it?" he asked. I could tell he was eager to show off his talent, so of course I said yes.

He jumped with such elegance and grace, which I knew I could never match. After he had finished the course he rode up next to me and asked, "What did you think?"

"I think that you are magnificent," I said with a look of awe in my eyes.

"Thank you," he said. "We had better get back to the palace. I think that lunch will be ready soon." As if my stomach could hear, it grumbled when the word lunch was brought up. Nice one stomach, ruining a nice date.

Maxon chuckled when he heard my stomach and said, "We'd better hurry, wouldn't want you to starve." I hit him in the shoulder playfully and dismounted in a very ungraceful fashion.

"Thank you Maxon," I said. "I had such a great time with you today."

"I did too," he said. He kissed my hand and we walked back to the palace. While I did love the food, I was not looking forward to seeing the king again.

As we walked in the kings eyes automatically darted towards me. "Ahh, Lady America I have been waiting for your arrival, he said with a sinister grin.

All I could think was, "This can't be good."

**Hey guys! Sorry for the slight clip hanger, but I hope you enjoyed some of the Maxerica fluff in this chapter. I just had to make their date horseback riding because that is an activity that I love very much. Please review, favorite, and follow. I tried to make this chapter a little longer, but I hope it wasn't too long. I can't believe it already has six follows! I know that is not many compared to other stories, but it lets me know that people are reading and enjoying it, so thanks. Thanks for reading!**

**Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed my last chapter!**

**going for the win: Thanks! Your review made me smile and I hope that you continue to read and enjoy the story.**

**Kiren: Awww, thanks! I promise to keep updating as long as at least one person is reading. **


	3. Chapter 3 - The Fight

**Hello everyone! Here is another chapter and I hope that you guys all enjoy it. Please, please, please, review, follow, and favorite! I love reading your reviews and they always make me smile. You guys encourage me to keep writing, which means a lot. Love ya and happy reading!**

"I would like for you to join me out in hall for a minute," the king says with an evil look in his eyes. He stands to leave and I have no choice but to follow him. I can feel Maxon's hand reach to grab mine, trying to hold me back. Before his hand can reach mine I pull away, I don't want him to get hurt, and I never doubt the king's desire to hurt his own son.

When we reach the hallway I ask, "So, what did you want to talk about." I try to sound as tough as possible, but inside I am quickly turning to jelly.

"Well young lady, you have become quite the thorn in my side, and I believe that it is time that we had a chat," he said with fury etched across his face. At that moment I was sure that the king did not just want to talk, but had other ideas in mind.

He led me down the hall into a dark room. When the lights were turned on I could only look with shock at the room in front of me. The floors were stained with blood and I saw a cupboard in the corner, which I assumed contained the canes that were so often used on Maxon.

The king slowly saunters over to me and pushes me down to the floor. "After I am done, you will leave this competition and you will never return," he says with nothing but malice in his voice.

"I will never leave Maxon, no matter what you do to me. I love him and nothing is going to change that," I say with triumph in my voice. The look of pure anger that flashed across his face scared me, but I was no longer going to run away from the king out of fear.

"By the time I am done with you, you will be begging to leave," he says. He walks over to the cupboard and takes out one of the many canes in it. He comes back over to me and raises the cane over my head.

I hear the swish of the cane descending and a sharp pain blossoms across my back. He repeats this process three more times, but I never scream. I know that is what he wants me to do, he wants me to show weakness. I vow to never be weak in front of the king again.

Just as he raises the cane again someone bursts into the room. I collapse on the floor unable to hold myself up anymore. I don't know who my savior is until they speak.

"Father! How could you do this to the woman I love? I am taking America and don't you try to stop me," Maxon says with a fire in his voice that I have never heard before. He rushes over to pick me up off of the floor and scoops me up in his arms. The king stands silently in the corner, glaring at us as we leave.

Maxon's brown eyes find mine and I can see the concern for me all across his face. I reach up to stroke his face, but the pain of lifting my arm is unbearable and I let out a small groan.

"I am so sorry America. I can't believe he hurt you. This is all my fault," he says with despair.

"Maxon, this is not your fault. Your father is just a bad person, and you are nothing like him," I say with a soft voice.

He once again looks in my eyes and gives me a small smile. "We had better get you to the doctor and get you checked out," he says.

"No! I can't go to the doctor, they'll want to know what happened. Just take me to my room and patch me up like I did for you," I plead.

"Okay, but we are going to my room, the first aid kit is in there," he says, clearly not happy with the fact that he can't take me to the doctor. He carries me up to the stairs and stops in front of a set of doors. I can only assume that they lead into his room.

"What's the matter Maxon," I ask, seeing the look of regret on his face.

"I just that the first time you saw my room, it would be a little bit more romantic," he says with a blush.

I give him a small smile, "Don't worry Maxon. I know you always want things to be perfect, but sometimes they can't be, and that is okay."

He opens the doors to his room and carries me over to his bed. He then reaches into the dresser that is found next to his bed. In his hands is a first aid kit, and I find it incredibly sad that he is beat by his father so often that he keeps the kit right next to his bed.

"Turn over love," he says. I quickly oblige and he unzips my dress in order to reach the wounds. Although, Maxon is only unzipping my dress for medicinal purposes, I still feel self-conscious about him looking at me without my dress on. He of course is only able to stare at the wounds across my back. He sucks in his breath and reaches into the kit.

"This is going to hurt America," he says while squeezing my hand. He pours the rubbing alcohol all over the wounds to sterilize them. I let out a small scream as my back begins to burn. Maxon quickly grabs some antiseptic cream and begins to rub it all over my back.

"Okay, the hard part is over. I just need to apply the bandages now," he says. I don't trust myself to speak at the moment so I only nod my head to let him know I heard him. With swift and delicate hands he quickly binds my back and goes to grab me some of his pajamas to wear, since my dress is now in shreds.

"Ummm, here are some clean clothes for you to wear. I will wait in the bathroom until you are done," he says, clearly embarrassed about the whole situation. I let out a small chuckle and nod my head.

After I am done changing Maxon renters the room and walks over to me. I can tell that his is about to apologize again, but I quickly cut him off with a kiss. He kisses me back with a passion and frenzy I had never seen him exhibit before. He begins to leave kisses down my neck and I let out a moan. His eyes dart back up and a slow grin spreads across his face.

He slowly pulls away, leaving me breathless and wanting more. "Why did you stop?" I ask.

He responds with a chuckle, "I don't want to get carried away, especially with your back." I pout my lips and plead with him. It doesn't work though and he sets me back on his bed leaving me with a kiss on my forehead.

"I think it is best that you rest for now. I will come wake you an hour before dinner to get ready," he says. He gives me one last smile and leaves me in his bed.

I toss and turn, but finally drift off into sleep. My last thought before my sleep's arms embrace me is, "I love you Maxon Schreave."

**Another chapter down. What did you guys think? Let me know in the reviews, or you can PM me if you want. I promise I always read your reviews and I always respond to any PMs. Anyway, if you guys want I can publish another chapter today, let me know if you guys are interested in that. Love ya! Ohh, I was also thinking that maybe I could do something where you guys could submit a character you would like to be in the story, let me know if that sounds like fun. **

**Thanks for these great reviews:**

**Kiren: I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and it looks like you were right. ;) **

**going for the win: Sorry for the cliffhanger, I have to at least try to keep people interested. :) Hopefully this chapter helped make up for the cliffhanger. By the way it is so awesome that you read my story because I have read yours and I love it so much!**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: Thanks so much! It means a lot that you love my story, it is people like you that encourage me to keep writing.**

**agb1700: Aww thank you! I am so glad that you love the story. I just love the Selection so much and I had to contribute my own take. I hope you keep reading and reviewing because your reviews are such great encouragement. PM me anytime!**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Closet and The Queen

**Second chapter of the day. I just couldn't help myself! I can't get enough of Maxerica and I hope that is the case for you guys too. If the story is a little boring I am so sorry and I promise it will get very interesting very soon, so enjoy the Maxerica fluff while you can. I love ya guys and as always, happy reading!**

"America, wake up. You have to get ready for dinner," Maxon says while gently shaking my shoulders. I slowly open my eyes and look up at him.

"How long have I been asleep?" I ask. He seems content that I am now awake and sits back on his bed.

"A couple of hours, but you have to hurry back to your room and allow your maids to get you ready," Maxon says.

I unravel myself from the blankets that I have managed to cacoon myself in. My hair is a rat's nest piled at the top of my head and I can still feel the edges of sleep trying to pull me back under. I let out a yawn and glance at the clock next to the bed. Now I can see why Maxon was so urgent to get me up, dinner is in less than an hour. I quickly jump out of bed and rush to the door.

"Whoa, slow down there. Where do you think you are going?" Maxon laughs. I look at him with a look of pure confusion.

"You told me I had to hurry and go get ready for dinner," I say. He strides towards and sweeps me into his arms for a soft kiss.

"Not before I got to do that," he says with a smile and opens the door for me. "See you at dinner, my dear."

As I go to leave I turn around and remind Maxon, "I am not your dear."

"You are right," he says. "You are my love."

As I enter my room my maids bombard me, wondering where I had been for the last few hours. I told them I spent part of the time with Maxon and the rest in the library, not wanting them to find out what actually happened to me just a few hours earlier. They go to prepare my bath and I know that from now on I will have to be extremely careful so that my maids do not see my back.

Lucy comes out of the bathroom with a smile on her face. She looks me up and down and asks, "Where is the dress you were wearing earlier, Lady America?"

I quickly look down and realize that I am still wearing Maxon's clothes from earlier. I try to come up with a plausable excuse and the only thing I can think of us is that I spilled tea on myself and needed a change of clothes. I can tell she does not believe me, but she doesn't ask me any more questions. She probably thinks me and Maxon got a little carried away, but I don't say anything to tell her otherwise.

I tell my maids that I can handle my bath by myself and I close the bathroom door to undress. I am not sure how long I will be able to hide the cuts on my backs, but I know that for now they must remain a secret.

My maids rush to do my hair and makeup and I dress behind the screen. The dress is just as beautiful as the one I wore that morning. It is light pink in color with a strapless pink bodice that flows out at my waist and down to my feet. A ribbon is around my waist and ruffles that look like flower petals rest just under it. Luckily, the dress covers up the welts on my back. I give an appreciative smile to my maids and they smile back.

I arrive at the same doors I had entered before the events that occurred earlier in the day. I take a deep breath trying to steady my rapidly beating heart. The guards in front of me open the doors and I step in.

My eyes immediately drift towards Maxon and he is smiling encouraginly at me. I next look for the King, who just so happens to be absent. I let out my breath, not realizing I was holding it in the first place. Elise waves for me to go sit next to her, and I do so happily.

"What happened to you America? The King asked to see you before lunch, but you never came back." Elise asks with a look of worry in her eyes.

"I know. I just wasn't feeling very well and decided to go take a nap," I say with a fake smile.

"If you say so," she says. I can tell that she doesn't believe what I am saying, but is far too polite to push me into saying anything. Before our conversation can continue the Queen stands up.

"Hello ladies," she says. "I wanted to inform you that the King of Spain will be visiting with the rest of his family and you will be expected to plan a small welcoming party for them, as well as a formal ball. I trust that you ladies can handle this and that you will do an amazing job. Good luck."

As soon as the Queen sits down us girls begin talking about plans for the party and the ball. Party planning has never been my thing and my mind begins to drift. Someone clears their throat behind me and I turn around to see Maxon standing behind me.

"Lady America, I was wondering if I could speak to you alone in the hallway," he says with a smile.

"Of course Prince Maxon," I respond.

We walk out into the hallway together and just as the door closes he grabs me and pulls me into a room that is close by.

"Maxon, what is going on?" I ask. He never usually acts like this.

"I couldn't stay away from you. Especially not when you are wearing a dress that looks like that," he says with a sly grin. He grabs my waist and pulls me into his toned chest. He begins to kiss me and all of my troubles begin to melt away. At that moment our souls connect and I can feel how much he truly loves me. He begins to work his way done my neck and when he reaches the top of my chest he reaches around to undo the back of my dress.

Not to be outdone by his sudden forwardness I reach for the bottom of his shirt and pull it over his head. I begin to explore his hard stomach working my hands up to his chest. He lets out a moan and I playfully bite at his lip. He moans again and begins to kiss me with even more passion than before.

I can tell that we are getting carried away, but at that moment I don't care. I am with Maxon and that is all that matter. By now he has unzipped the top part of my dress and he is working on undoing my bra when I hear a noise.

Suddenly, bright light streams into the room, which I realize now is nothing more than a closet. Standing in the doorway is about the last person I would want to see when I am kissing Maxon. His mom.

"I figured you two were up to something when you practically ran out of the dining room," she says with her hands on her hips. I try to cover my exposed chest up with my arms and Maxon wraps his arms around me.

"I think you two need to get dressed and head to your rooms before things get out of control," she says with a wink and walks off.

'Well, that was embarassing," Maxon says. I look up at him seeing the blush on his face, which I am sure matches the one on my own.

"That is the understatement of the year," I say with a chuckle.

**There you guys, yet another chapter. I had a bit of a writer's bug today so I decided to write a second chapter. I hope that you guys enjoyed it. Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review. Please try to review because I love to read them and they make me so happy. I can't help but refresh the page almost every ten minutes looking for reviews to read from you guys! Haha, anyway love ya guys!**


	5. Chapter 5 - The Clatter

**Guys! Three chapters in one day! I have no idea what is wrong with me, but I just couldn't help myself! I always forget to say this, but all characters belong to Kiera Cass because she is super awesome and created this magical world. Anyways, like always happy reading and I love ya guys!**

I decide that is probably best that I leave Maxon for the night and return to my room. When I return to my room I send my maids away, telling them that I can take care of myself for the night. I take my hair out of a bun and remove my makeup before climbing into my shorts and t-shirt that I brought from home. It feels like so long ago since I left home, but I realize it has only been a few months.

I walk over to my bed and lay down before falling into another night of sleep. All of the sudden I hear a knock on my door. "Who could that be at this hour?" I mutter to myself.

I go over and open the door and standing on the other side is the King holding a bloody whip. I step back startled by his appearance. "What are you doing here?" I ask.

A slow grin spreads across his face, "I wanted you to know that your beloved love Maxon is dead, and you're next." I wake up in bed screaming trying to get my sheets off of me. The guard stationed at my door comes rushing in and tries to calm me down. I hear nothing he says, still trapped in my horrible dream world. Suddenly, two arms encircle me and I remember the familiar embrace.

"It's okay America. Please, you have to stop screaming," Maxon pleads. My screams die down to a whimper as tears trickle down my face. "What happened love?" he asks.

"It was the worst dream I could ever imagine," I say. "I was told you were dead and that your father killed you."

"Shhhh...," he says will stroking my hair. "Try to get some sleep. It was only a dream."

"Please don't leave me," I beg.

"Never," he responds and continues to stroke my hair until I fall, thankfully, into a dreamless slumber.

I wake up the next morning expecting to find Maxon laying next to me, but find only a piece of paper.

_Dear America,_

_I had to leave you before you awoke. I wouldn't want to start any more rumors in the palace about how we spend the nights. I will see you at breakfast. Oh, and I am tugging my ear._

_Love,_

_Maxon_

I smile to myself and wonder what rumors are currently spreading about me in the palace. I decide that after last night I need to do something special for Maxon. My screaming probably terrified him more than he let on.

My maids enter my room and begin our usual morning routine. Before I leave to take my bath I leave my maids with one specific instruction for my dress, sexy.

Lucy has my eyes covered and won't let me see the dress until everything else is perfect. When she removes her hands I am standing in front of the mirror and reflected back at me is a girl who looks like I never thought I could, seductive. The dress is skintight to my hips and then flows straight down to the floor. It is red in color and has a large slit that goes to the middle of my thigh. My makeup is down much more daring than I would usually wear it, with a red lip and smoky eyes. My maids decided to leave my red hair down and it shines brightly against my dress.

"I love it," I squeal to my maids.

"Well don't just stand there, go show Prince Maxon," Anne says with a smile.

I run over to give all of them a huge hug before exiting my room. I can't wait to show Maxon my new look and I can see all of the guards staring at me as I walk down the halls. I decide that I should mess with them and tell them, "I don't know what the Prince would think about you guys ogling me." I wink at them and they begin to laugh, realizing that I am just joking.

I enter the dining room and I hear the sound of a glass shattering on the floor. On the other side of the room a voice says, "Holy shit."

I look at the girls and can see that Kriss is clearly the one who broke the glass when I made my entrance. I give her a smile before turning to curtsy to the Queen and Prince. My dress opens to show my entire leg up to my thigh. As I rise I hear the clatter of silverware and look up to see Maxon with his silverware all over the ground and red in the face. I smile back at him, slyly tugging my ear and walk over to the girls.

"Hello ladies, how are you doing today?" I ask, knowing perfectly well that they are all shocked by my sudden change in appearance.

"America, do you think that dress is appropriate for breakfast?" Kriss asks with a tone of mock concern.

"Why wouldn't it be, or are you just jealous you didn't think to do so first? I ask and can clearly tell that the latter is true. Celeste only scoffs and looks down at her food. Elise leans over and whispers, "Nice one America," before returning to her breakfast. I begin to settle in and the queen rises.

"Ladies, as you can tell that the King is currently absent. He is in Spain speaking with the King and will return with the Spanish family," she says. "Please finish your breakfast and come to the Women's room so that we may discuss details for the party and the ball."

**Clarkson's POV**

This meeting with the King of Spain is very important. Illea needs them as allies and I am the only one can ensure their support. The war in New Asia is only getting worse and I have to do something before things get out of hand.

I am glad to be away from the palace for a short period of time, if only to get away from that awful girl America. She is so stubborn and wants to bring drastic changes to the nation. I wouldn't have such a problem with her if it wasn't for the fact that my son loved her so much. He may actually pick her to be his queen, and I knew I could never let that happen.

I enter the meeting room and see the King of Spain sitting in his chair with a cane next to him with his eldest son James to his right. I take a seat ready to begin the meeting. "So, your highness, what is it going to take for me to get you to become our allies?" I ask.

"Well, as you may or not know, I have fallen ill and my son is going to soon be taking over the throne. We are entirely ready to make an alliance with you, but before we do we need a favor," he says. His son looks uncomfortable at his side and refuses to make eye contact with anyone in the room.

"And what is this favor, if I may ask?" I reply.

"In order to ascend to the throne my son needs to be married and he has not found a girl on his own. That is why we have decided that to solidify the alliance between our two great nations, he would marry a girl from Illea. Perhaps one of the girls from your sons Selection?" he asks.

"I have just the girl," I respond and know that once and for all I have found a solution for my own little problem.

**AHHHH! What did you guys think? This is like the whole twist in my story. What do you think is going to happen? I just have to know so review, favorite, follow, or PM me. I also mentioned this in an earlier chapter, but I want you guys to be involved in my stories so I thought it might be fun to put your own made up characters in the story! Just message me with character basics and I will make sure to include them. Anyway, that is my third chapter of the day and I think I may finally be able to stop. Love ya guys!**

**Thanks for the great reviews guys! Time for some shout outs!**

**Kiren: I know I can't picture anything worse. I took your idea for the Clarkson POV because it was an awesome idea, so thanks for that. I promise to go more in depth later with his past, but that was a little bit of what he was feeling. You should definitely submit a character like I talked about above. Hope you enjoyed the new chapter. **

**going for the win: I am so glad you enjoyed it. I always thought that America had a sense of humor and wanted to incorporate that a little into my own story. And trust me on this, your story is super amazing! Definitely submit a character if you want. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!**

**Daniluvxx: I am so glad you enjoyed the fluff. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!**

**1234dont step on me: Well I love that you love the story! I hope that you keep reading and enjoyed the new chapter!**

**primrosedawneverdeen: Yay! I am so glad you love the story! I hope you liked the new chapter!**

**A special thanks to agb1700 would PM'd me her review, which was super awesome of her!**


	6. Chapter 6- The Betrayal

**Hi! I just want to make it clear that I am a Maxerica shipper, so just keep that it mind when you read this chapter and any future chapters. Things have to get worse before they can get better. All characters belong to Kiera Cass, besides Meadow Lilly, who was contributed by PEETAMELLARKLOVER123. Anyway, happy reading and I love ya guys! **

"Ladies, each of you will be in charge of a part of the ball and will all plan the welcoming party together," Silvia says with her usual stern look stretched across her face. She hands us each a folder with our names on the outside and our assignments.

I was given the task of food and music, while Celeste was in charge of the guest list, Elise was in charge of decorations, and Kriss was in charge of seating arrangements. Out of all of them I definitely had the most difficult jobs, but I had hoped it was just because the Queen trusted me more and was trying to groom me to one day take over her job.

"Alright ladies, I will leave you to it then. Do not disappoint me," Silvia says with a rare smile and exits to do what ever Silvia does when she is not bossing us around.

"I think we should start planning for the party first and then we can plan for the ball on our free time," Kriss says, of course feeling the need to take charge and boss everyone around. Kriss has changed so much over the last few weeks, she used to be so sweet, but I have seen a jealousy streak in her that scares me. She was turning into Celeste, and no one needs two Celestes.

I decided that it was best to contribute my ideas quickly before being overshadowed by both Kriss and Celeste, "I think that we should just serve hors d'oeuvres because there will be so few guests." Celeste looks up at me, almost in shock that I had an opinion about the party at all.

"Wow, that was probably the first good idea you have ever had America," she say with a maniacal smirk. I just roll my eyes and look in my folder for any information on the Royal Family of Spain.

"It says here that the Spanish flag contains both red and yellow, so perhaps we should incorporate that into their welcoming party," Elise says in her quiet, yet authoritative voice. Elise has always been a wildcard to me. She is always so quiet, but her ideas are always intelligently thought out, and even though I know that Maxon will never marry her, I can't help but think that she would make a great queen.

After planning for a while longer we all excuse ourselves to our rooms to begin planning the ball. As I am leaving a young girl with brown hair and blue eyes runs up to me.

"Lady America, I have a message for you," she says, clearly out of breath. She is carrying a letter and proceeds to hand it to me.

I open the letter and am chilled by the words found inside:

_Dear Lady America,_

_You had better watch your back, before the king sticks a knife in it._

_From,_

_A Friend_

"Who gave you this letter," I demand. The girl begins to tremble in front of me and I instantly regret how I yelled at her. She clearly doesn't mean me any harm and decide to try another tact with her. "I am sorry. What's your name?" I ask in a reassuring tone.

"Meadow Lilly," she whimpers.

"I was just wondering if you know who gave you this letter?" I ask, trying to calm her down.

"No, it was left on my table of mail that is supposed to be delivered," she says, clearly more calm than she was just a few moments before.

"Okay, thank you. You may go," I respond. She quickly carries and runs back the way she came.

Whoever sent the letter to me must know something about the King that I don't. I fear my own safety and know that while living in the palace there is nothing I can do to truly protect myself. I decide to head back up to my room and try to clear my mind for the moment.

When I reach my room I walk over to my piano and begin to play all of the songs that are in my repertoire. I am so focused on what I am playing that I don't notice someone enter my room. After finishing my song I turn around and jump back in fear. Maxon sits on my bed smiling at my softly.

"How long have you been sitting there?" I ask.

"Just long enough to hear the most beautiful music," he replies with a grin. I can tell that he is clearly impressed with my musical abilities and return his grin with a shy smile.

"Are you here to take me another date?" I ask, completely unable to disguise the eagerness in my voice.

"Unfortunately I have a meeting that I must attend and can't take you out on a date right now," he says with a frown. While I am somewhat hurt that we do not get to go out, I know that I must not be selfish because while Maxon may love me he also loves his country.

"It's okay. I guess I while have to share you with the other woman in your life," I reply, trying to make light of the situation. A look of horror crosses his face.

"I meant Illea, you know the country you just happen to be the Prince of?" I say, confused by his strange reaction to my joke.

"Oh, yes of course," he says with a smile that I see through completely. He then stands up and exits my room. It must be all the stress I decide and begin to plan my sections of the ball.

After an hour of work I get bored and decide to take a walk around the palace. As I walk down the staircase I hear voices, more specifically one male and one female voice. I don't think much of it, probably just a maid and a guard having a secret romantic tryst. As I get closer I recognize the voices, but it is to late to unsee what was right in front of me. Maxon and Kriss locked in a passionate kiss, murmuring words to each other between kisses. I slowly try to back away as tears sting the corners of my eyes. Of course, me being as clumsy as I am, trip over my own feet and Kriss and Maxon spring apart to see my lying on the floor.

"I'm sorry. I was just leaving," I say, trying to cover up the pain that I am currently feeling. I get up and begin to run down the halls back to my room. So much for Kriss trying to keep her lip virginity to her wedding day. It was at that moment that I knew that Kriss would do whatever it took to be Maxon's wife, and Maxon seemed more than happy to oblige her.

Maxon was always reminding me about how I needed to earn back his trust, but he had just lost mine, and I don't know what he could do to ever regain it.

**Clarkson POV:**

"You will just love the girl I have in mind," I say with a smirk. "Her name is America Singer, and she will be the perfect princess for you."

**Okay, so let me make this clear, I am a hardcore Maxerica fan. Maxon clearly made a mistake, and we will just have to see what his excuse for his behavior is. Please follow, review, and favorite. I hope that you guys all enjoyed the chapter, it was kind of a filler one, but things are going to heat up when the royal family from Spain comes to visit. Love ya guys!**

**Shout out to my reviewers:**

**going for the wind: No please don't die inside! You are one of my favorite readers! But I am totally Maxerica shipper, so that should give you an idea about who will end up together.**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: I hope you liked your character in the story. Sorry, but it just has to happen.**

**jadebingham: Ahhh, sorry for the cliffhanger! I hope that this chapter answered it and that you continue to read and review. Thanks so much!**


	7. Chapter 7- The Explanation

**First off, let me apologize for not updating yesterday. I had horseback riding lessons yesterday and when I got back home I wasn't really in the mood to write. Hopefully, this chapter helps make it up to you guys. Please review, follow, and favorite. All characters belong to Kiera Cass, besides the ones that I make up. Happy reading and I love ya guys!**

As I enter my room I run to my bed and collapse into a fit of tears. A fist repeatedly knocks on my door and I have a feeling I know exactly who it is. I slowly open the door and before it is completely open Maxon barges into my room.

"Maxon! How could you do that to me?" I ask, the betrayal that I feel cannot even be expressed in words.

"How could you do that to me, America?" Maxon demands. This makes me pause. If anyone should be angry, it should be me. He is the one who betrayed me and lost all of my trust. This time it was all his fault.

"How could I do what to you? I am not the one locking lips with another girl in the hallway," I retort. My anger is threatening to boil over and all I want to do is shove him out of my room.

"No. You were locking lips with a guard though, in this very room." he growls at me. I turn away trying to not make eye contact with him.

"How did you find out about that?" I ask.

"Well, it was quite curious actually. I had a note slipped under my door and it said that I should check the camera footage from the security cameras in your room. It listed a day and time that I should look at, and when I did I saw the girl who supposedly loved me, kissing another man," he says, the pain in his eyes causes my own to fill with tears.

"Maxon, you don't understand. It is over with Aspen. I ended it with him when I started to fall in love with you," I plead.

"America, I kissed Kriss because you broke my heart, and she was just there. I needed companionship. You betrayed me again America, and I don't know how much more my heart can take," Maxon says, staring down at the sheets that cover my bed.

"Maxon, you betrayed me as well when you went to Kriss," I reply. I realize the mistakes that I had made by being with Aspen, but Maxon was not blameless in all of this either. He doesn't even consider the fact that I am essentially cheated on every day by the man I love. It is clear we have nothing else to say to each other and Maxon gets up and silently exits my room.

The King and the Spanish Royal Family are set to come tomorrow, I can only hope that by then that my future is less bleak than it is right now.

When I wake up the next morning the events of the last night come rushing back to me. I let out a groan and hear a laugh coming from the corner of the room. I look over and see Lucy sewing quietly in a chair.

"Rough night, ma'am?" she asks with a smile.

"You could say that again," I say, while rolling out of bed and stumbling into my bathroom. When I have finished my bath I enter my room to find all my maids waiting patiently for me.

"Go work your magic ladies. I think I need it more than ever today," I tell them. The dark circles under my eyes are prominent after a restless night of tossing and turning. My poor maids certainly do have their work cut out for them. They get to work on fixing my hair and makeup. The dress that I am wearing today is cream in color with a lace overlay. It is simple, but still stunning. I am always amazed by what my maids can accomplish.

When I enter the dining room Maxon looks over and tugs his ear. I nod my head back at him. We have a lot to talk about. We are obviously both having trust issues, and the only way to work through them is to talk it out.

Kriss jabbers on all breakfast long about how much she loves Maxon and the kiss she shared with him last night. Her words make me feels so nauseous that I just pick at the food in front of me. Elise looks at me with a questioning look in her eyes, clearly confused about the drastic turn around that occurred between me and Maxon.

All of the sudden Celeste stands up and shouts, "Oh my god Kriss! Would you just shut up?" I try to cover my smile with my napkin, and for the first time in my life I am actually grateful to have Celeste around. At least someone was willing to put Kriss in her place. Kriss just stares at her plate, clearly not used to getting yelled at. I turn to look at Maxon and he is staring at our table with wide eyes. My eyes then drift towards the Queen who is surprisingly eating her food acting like nothing had happened. I am beginning to like the Queen more and more.

After breakfast I head out to the stables, remembering the date that Maxon and I shared there. I run into Carter, Marlee's husband, in the stables and we chat for a bit before he goes off to clean out the stalls. I walk over to Willow, the horse that I rode on my date, and begin to brush her down. At least someone enjoys my company, even if it just is a horse. I feed Willow a couple of carrots and whisper soft words into her ears.

Suddenly I hear a voice from behind, "I think we need to talk."

I turn around, recognizing the voice right away, "I agree. I want to work out our problems Maxon. I love you, and I don't think I could spend my life loving anyone else."

He begins to walk towards me, "I feel the same way, my love. I want you to know that I love you and that we both need to work on regaining each other's trust. I realize that it must be difficult for you to see me run around with other girls, but I have to do it. I want to spend the rest of my life with you America."

"Is that a promise?" I ask with a twinkle in my eye.

"As soon as I can get my father to agree I will end the Selection, and you will become my bride," he says and sweeps me into a kiss. All of our problems are not solved, but he loves me and I love him, and for now that is good enough.

We break apart and I notice the clock on the wall. "Maxon, we had better hurry, your father will be back soon."

We walk to the center foyer, where the Queen and the rest of the Selected are already waiting. I walk over to the girls and join them. The doors before us open and the royal family, along with the King, enters.

The King and Queen of Spain are both beautiful, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. With them is another young girl, who I assume is the Princess, and a man around my age, who I assume is the Prince. The young girl has brown hair like her parents and green eyes. The man standing next to her is gorgeous with lush chocolate brown hair and hazel eyes. The family walks over to the Queen and greets her.

The Prince walks over to me and gently kisses my hand as I curtsy. He looks up at me and I can see the slight blush on his face. He slowly steps back and goes to stand next to his father. I wonder why he was blushing, if anyone should be nervous it should be me.

King Clarkson then speaks up, "Ahh, Lady America, I see that you have met your fiance."

**Thank you so much for reading! Please review, favorite, and follow. I hope that you enjoyed this new chapter, and let me know if there were certain things you would like to see in the story and I will try to incorporate them. Love ya guys!**

**Shout out time!**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: I am so glad that you enjoyed your character and the chapter. Thanks so much for your review and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**going for the win: I know! I was mad at Maxon too, and I am the one who wrote it. Thanks so much for always reviewing and reading it means a lot. **

**Someone the World Forgot: I hate Clarkson too! He always has to ruin everything! Kriss is turning into such a brat, but I always felt like Kriss was always just hiding her true personality. I promise to keep updating as long as you keep reading and writing fantastic reviews. :)**

**Blondie: Clarkson is always cruel. Hopefully, you found Maxon's excuse to be good enough. We will just have to wait and see what Maxon does when he finds out about the Prince. Thanks so much for the great review and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)**


	8. Chapter 8- The Sacrifice

**Another day, another chapter. I hope you guys like it. I am sorry if it feels a little rushed at the end, but the party will be in the next chapter with more detail. Of course all characters belong to Kiera Cass, except for the ones that I created. As always, happy reading and I love ya guys!**

"Father! What are you talking about? America is apart of the Selection and until I decide to dismiss her she belongs to me," Maxon shouted at his father.

I mumbled to myself, "Quite frankly I don't belong to anyone, but at least he is standing up for me." I knew that no matter how Maxon or I tried, the King would get his way.

The King ignores his son and walks towards me. "Lady America, I would like to speak to you in private." There was no fighting the King, so I followed him down the hallway. I could hear Maxon back in the foyer yelling and his mother trying to comfort him.

The King and I approached a room and after we entered I noticed that it must be the King's private study. He went to go sit behind his desk and I took a seat in front of him.

"I am surprised that you did not protest more, Lady America. I always thought that you were more of a fighter than that," the King says. I fix him with one of my most withering stares and lean towards him.

"I pick my battles wisely, and I know that it was useless to fight you in front of everyone. You would have shut me down immediately as to not embarrass yourself. Besides, I know you must have some tricks up your sleeve if you think I am going to marry a stranger," I say, looking him right in the eye. I don't want him to know that I am afraid, not when he sits in front of me with that stupid smirk.

"Perhaps you are smarter than I give you credit for, Lady America. You are quite right, I do have some tricks up my sleeve. See, if you refuse to marry the Prince of Spain there will be no alliance between Illea and Spain. This would allow New Asia to attack and essentially demolish our country, and I know as well as you do how much you love your stupid people. You will do anything to protect them, including marrying a man that you don't love," he says with a smug smile. He knows that he is right, and that there is nothing I won't do to help my people.

I calmly stand up, "Apparently there is nothing I can do at the moment, but know this. I love your son and no matter how you try you will never keep us apart. This will separate us, but if we are meant to be, which we are, we will find our way back to each other." I barely believe what I am saying, and fight to keep the uncertainty out of my voice.

"That is what you think, Lady America. I on the other hand know that Maxon is better off with another woman, and with you out of the picture he will finally be able to see that," he says, clearly he had thought out exactly how this meeting would go.

"We will just have to see who is right then, Your Majesty," I say, while going into a deep curtsy. I will not allow him to see how my heart is breaking. He will not get the upper hand.I slowly turn around and walk out of the room. Standing right outside the door is Maxon flanked by two guards.

"America!" he shouts. "They wouldn't let me in. What happened? You aren't actually going to marry that Prince are you?" The look of fear that he has in his face almost causes me to lose the calm facade that I am trying to maintain.

"Maxon, I have no choice. If we want there to be an alliance between Illea and Spain then I have to marry the Prince. I know how much you care about your country, and I feel the same way. We have to do this," I say, tears gathering in my eyes.

"No, I won't let you do it! Let me talk to my father. Maybe the Prince would marry Celeste," Maxon pleads. The tears in his own eyes threaten to spill over. I shake my head at him. We both know that it would be fruitless to argue with the King, and we can't put the country in jeopardy. It would only lead to more pain and suffering. I begin to walk away, not being to look at the man I love.

"America, please. Don't do this to me," Maxon calls me. I don't even turn to look back at him, it would just be too painful. I knew that I would do anything to end up with Maxon, but even after all I said to the King I began to doubt that I would ever get to be Maxon's bride. That was the moment that tears began to stream down my face.

My maids waited for me in my room, clearly hearing about what had happened earlier. They all crowd around me, squeezing me into a tight hug. After I have finally stopped crying I go to get changed for the welcome party, where I will finally talk to my future husband. The thought of thinking about another man as my husband, causes me to almost break out into tears again.

The dress they put me in is gold with jeweled leaves covering it. The top that covers my collarbones is shear, before it transitions into pale gold. The skirt flares out all the way to the floor and around my waist is a gold belt. I look beautiful, but it means nothing.

I slowly walk to the dining room where everyone is waiting. When I enter everyone's eyes immediately glance at me. Maxon is standing in the corner with a look of sadness that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. A hand reaches out to mine and I look at the person connected to that hand. It is Prince James and he is looking at me with a tentative smile. I take his hand and he leads me up to his parents. I curtsy and smile up at them. The King takes my hand and kisses it. The Queen sweeps me into a hug and says she is excited to have another daughter.

From behind me I hear a happy squeal and turn around to see the Princess staring at me. She runs up and hugs me. "I always wanted a big sister," she says with a grin. She reminds me a lot of May, and I suddenly wish my own family was there.

"Hi, I am Lacy," she says, barely able to contain her excitement.

I smile at her, "It is nice to meet you, Lacy."

"All right guys, let's give Lady America some space. I am sure this is a lot to take in," the Prince says while smiling at his family. It is clear that they are close and all love each other.

"Would you mind if we go out in the hall to talk for a minute," he asks, clearly nervous about what I will say to him.

Before we exit I sneak a peak at Maxon, who is glaring at us with a look I have never seen on him before, jealousy.

**What did you guys think? Was it okay? I always picture America as being strong, and I wanted to show her strength when she went to talk to the King. I hope you guys all liked it. I got so many positive reviews on my last chapter, which made me smile. I hope this chapter lived up to the last one. Please review, favorite, and follow. Love ya guys!**

**Shout out time! So many great reviews!**

**going for the win: Ahh! So sorry about all the cliffhangers, but I have to keep you guys interested. ;) I hope you liked this chapter and thanks for always reviewing!**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: After you read this chapter you can probably tell that Maxon was none to happy about the engagement. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Kiren: Maxon is technically in charge, but in order to protect his country he has to let America go. It is hard to always do what is right. I promise another chapter tomorrow! Thanks for reviewing!**

**fanficforev: He totally is! I hated him in the books too. I hope you liked this chapter and continue to read and enjoy.**

**Taylor: I hope you liked this chapter. Unfortunately at this time America has to be with James, and we will have to wait and see who she ends up with at the end. Don't worry I promise to keep writing as long as you keep reading. ;)**

**The Devil Wears Westwood: I know, he is the worst. Hope you liked the chapter and that you keep on reading!**

**SelectionLoverForever: Another update for you. :) Thanks so much for loving the last chapter, and I hope you enjoyed this one too!**

**Blondie: You will just have to wait to see who America ends up with in the end. ;) Sorry, please don't die on me! We will just have to see who Prince James ends up with, maybe America, maybe someone else. I am so glad you are enjoying the story!**

**C.F Ryan2: I am so glad you enjoyed the chapters and that they keep you in suspense. I hope you keep reading and that the chapters continue to surprise you!**

**Chelsea: Thanks! Glad you think the story is amazing! I tried to make the story a little unique, so I am glad you enjoyed the twist. **

**Special shout out to agb1700 who always reviews my stories by PM. She always has such great things to say and has been around since the very beginning of the story, which is amazing! **


	9. Chapter 9- The Green Monster

**As promised, another chapter. I hope that you guys like it, not really any Maxerica in this one, sorry. You guys will see a jealous Maxon though. All characters belong to Kiera Cass, except for the ones that I created. Happy reading and I love ya guys!**

"Lady America, I understand that this situation is not ideal, but I think that you will make a great wife for me. I think that if you get to know me you will actually start to like me, and maybe even love me," Prince James says with a hopeful smile. He seems so sweet and innocent that I can not tell him that my heart will only ever belong to Maxon.

"Perhaps," I say. "Oh, and please call me America. We are going to be married." I give him a small smile, trying to let him know that I don't blame him for our arranged engagement. He obviously had no say in the matter, and it is pointless to be mad at him for something out of his control.

"I would love to get to know more about you sometime, America," he says with a small blush. I have to admit he is very hot and his hazel eyes are filled with hope.

"I think that would be great," I respond with a smile. "However, in the meantime, I think we should head back into the party. We wouldn't want people to get the wrong impression, now would we?"

Just as we are about to enter the party the door opens and Maxon walks out. "America, I need to talk to you," he pleads, while glaring at James. Before I can respond the situation gets even more awkward.

"Mer, I need to talk to you, please," Aspen says from further down the hall. Great, my current love, my ex-love, and my soon to be fiance all in the same space. This couldn't possibly get any worse.

"I don't think America wants to talk to you, Aspen," Maxon says with a snarl.

Aspen steps towards him, "I think that is for America to decide." James just stands next to me looking back and forth between the two men who are glaring at each other.

Aspen nods his head at James, "Who is that?"

Maxon lets out a chuckle, "Oh, you didn't hear? That is America's soon to be fiance."

Aspen looks back and forth between me and James. "What is he talking about Mer?"

"Aspen, now is not the time to talk about this. Maxon go back into the party," I beg.

"That's okay. I am fine out here," Maxon replies with a grin. I can tell he wants to see what Aspen will say to me. He probably hopes that Aspen can talk some sense into me.

James, clearly confused about the situation unfolding in front of him, says, "America, I think I am just going to go back to the party."

"That sounds like a great idea James, I think I will come with," I say. I can't deal with Maxon and Aspen right now, and quite frankly their brooding jealous behavior is embarrassing me. I grab James' hand and we go back to the party. I sneak a peak behind me and see both Aspen and Maxon standing there with their jaws open. I let out a scoff, that will teach them to not act like prepubescent boys.

I see Celeste, Elise, and Kriss all crowded around one of the tables talking quietly. I tell James that I should probably go over and talk to them. As I approach the table, all conversation comes to halt.

"Hi girls, you weren't talking about me were you?" I ask, knowing perfectly well that they were.

"America, you are so lucky! You get to marry a Prince, who is so hot!" Kriss exclaims. She obviously couldn't care less about how lucky I was, she was just glad that she could finally have Maxon to herself.I just roll my eyes and say, "For someone who is so in love with Maxon, I am surprised you have the time to notice any other man." Kriss turns bright red and shuts right up. I turn to walk away, not wanting to hear what the other girls had to say.

I go to stand by the refreshment table when someone taps my shoulder and I turn around to see James standing there. "I was wondering if I could have this dance?" he asks.

I nod my head and he takes my hand and leads me out to the dance floor. I was never very good at dancing, but James is excellent at it, and actually makes me look good at it. As he dips me I see all of the Selection girls staring at me. Even though Kriss is excited to have Maxon all to herself, she is clearly jealous of my soon to be fiance and still seething over my last comment. Celeste has a sneer plastered on her face, and even Elise looks a little sad. I let out a small giggle.

James looks at me with a smile, "What is so funny?"

I nod my head towards the girls, "They're jealous of you and I." James looks in their direction and lets out a low chuckle.

"Maybe we should give them something to really be jealous about," James says with a sneaky smile. He pulls me into him and places a kiss on my lips. His kiss is nothing compared to Maxon, but my heart still flutters.

"That's it! I can't take this anymore!" Maxon shouts from behind me. Both James and I break apart to look at him. Maxon strides up to James and says, "Leave my America alone!"

"Well quite frankly, she is not your America anymore," James says with fire in his eyes. I gulp, there is no way this could end well. At that exact moment Maxon reels back and punches James in the mouth. I let out a small scream and back away.

"Maxon! Why did you do that?" I shout at him. Maxon steps back and storms out of the room. I bend down to look at James' face and see blood leaking out of his mouth.

"I am so sorry. I don't know what got into him," I say.

"Oh, I think I do. It must be very hard to let such a beautiful woman go," James says with a pained smile. I can feel the blush spreading up my face.

The King and Queen of Spain come rushing over and help James to his feet. They quickly escort him out of the room and to the doctor to get him checked out. I let out a sigh, how had my life become even more of a mess in such a short period of time?

"I think that is enough excitement for one night everyone. It is probably best that we all return to our rooms," Queen Amberly says. I take that as my cue to leave and head back up to my room.

When I open the door I see Maxon sitting on my bed, crying into his hands. He is clearly hurting, and no matter how hard I try there is nothing I can do to make him better.

**Hope you guys liked that chapter. A jealous Maxon is very bad. What did you guys think about the James and America kiss? Do you think Maxon should have hit James? Please review, follow and favorite. Thanks so much for reading! Love ya guys!**

**Shout out time! Another round of great reviews!**

**going for the win: I think this chapter shows just how careful you should be around a jealous Maxon. You will just have to wait and see who America ends up with, I can't ruin the ending for you! ;)**

**Daniluvxx: Haha, let me know what you think of James after this chapter. I am so glad you are enjoying the story, and I hope you continue to read.**

**primrosedawneverdeen: So glad you think the story is amazing! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**The Devil Wears Westwood: I don't think Maxon will get over America so quickly. I can't tell you who America ends up with, I wouldn't want to ruin the ending! ;)**

**Kiren: Here is the chapter, so no need to spam me, haha. So glad you love the story, and I am proud of America too. :)**

**Blondie: I know, I feel bad for Maxon too. I love a good love-mystery too! I think that some time apart will be good for them. Thanks so much for reading!**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: I am so sorry I am making your heart break! Who knows, maybe they will end up back together, but no promises. **

**Luxster101: Hopefully this chapter makes up for the wait. Thanks so much for reading! :)**

**C.F Ryan2: I am so happy that you would take time out of your vacation to read my story! That means a lot. I am so glad you are loving it, and I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. **

**SelectionLoverForever: I can't believe you think my chapters are amazing! That is so amazing of you! I also want the Spanish Prince to be sweet too. I think America deserves that. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. **

**Of course a special shout out to agb1700 who is a fantastic reader, who is so AMAZING! She always has such great things to say, and is always willing to talk! Love ya girl!**


	10. Chapter 10- The Fluffy Creature

**Just a warning there is like no Maxerica in this chapter so brace yourself if you are a Maxerica fan. This chapter is also like the longest I have ever written! All characters belong to Kiera Cass, besides the ones I created. Happy reading and I love ya guys. I hope you guys still like me after reading this chapter. (fingers crossed)**

"Maxon, you shouldn't be in here," I sigh. I walk over to my bed and place my hand on his.

"America, I can't stand to see you with another man. I see what it feels like now to see me kissing all of those other girls," Maxon says through his tears.

I chuckle, it figures that it takes me being soon to be engaged to another man for Maxon to see how hurt I really was. Boys...

"Maxon, you know I love you, but I need to do this. I think it's best for you to leave. I just can't deal with this right now," I plead. I don't really want for him to leave, but seeing him in pain, only causes me to feel even worse.

He silently gets up and exits my room. A short while after he leaves I hear a knock on my door. As I walk to answer it I say, "Maxon, please just leave me alone." To my surprise when I open the door a young maid is standing on the other side.

"Sorry to bother you Ma'am, but Prince James insisted that I deliver this note to you and wait here until you respond," she says while bushing, clearly Kriss isn't the only one who finds the Prince to be attractive. I take the letter from the tray and open it.

_Dear America,_

_I wanted to let you know that I managed to survive that punch. Prince Maxon really does not hit that hard. Anyways, I wanted to invite you out on a date tomorrow. I thought this would be a fantastic way to get to know my future bride. _

_P.S I won't be talking no for an answer._

_Looking forward to seeing you soon,_

_James_

I look up at the maid, "Well, I guess you can tell him that I will see him tomorrow. Thank you." The maid scampers away and I close the door. I haven't quite made up my mind about James yet. On one hand he seems very sweet, but on the other hand I don't know if I find his cockiness charming, or repulsive.

The next morning I wake up before my maids arrive and decide to get started without them for a change. Right as I am about to lower myself into my bath I hear a gasp come from behind me. I turn around while trying to cover myself with a towel to see Lucy standing there with her hand over her mouth. For a second I wonder why she is so shocked to see me, but then I remember the healing scars on my back.

"Lucy, you can't tell anyone about those," I beg. I can tell that she is clearly frightened, but I trust her with my life, and I know she won't say anything.

"Ma'am, what happened to your back," Lucy asks. She obviously doesn't want to pry, but her curiosity gets the better of her.

I sigh, "The King put those on my back, but you must not tell anyone, or you could get into serious trouble. This needs to remain a secret between the two of us. Do you promise?"

"I promise America, but please try to be more careful around the King. Perhaps it is for the best that you are going to marry Prince James, at least you won't have to see the King anymore," she ponders. I have a feeling that she is right, but I would rather spend the rest of my days being whipped, then spend one minute away from Maxon, especially married to another man. However, I knew that this engagement was bigger than my wants and needs, it was about the needs of an entire nation.

"Lucy, why don't you go pick out a dress while I finish with my bath," I say, wanting to distract her from the information that she has just discovered. She scurries away and I finally lower myself into the warm bath water.

After my bath I return to my room to find all of my maids waiting. While Lucy is still clearly upset, the rest of my maids don't seem to be acting any differently than usual. "Good," I think. "I knew that Lucy could be trusted."

Lucy tries to stay away from me as much as possible while my maids getting ready. She probably doesn't want Anne and Mary to see how uncomfortable she is around me and have them asking her questions later on. The dress that I am wearing today is made out of gray lace, it is rather simple, but the design is clearly intricate and beautiful.

Just I am done getting ready I hear a knock on my door. I wave my hand at the maids, telling them that I can get the door myself. I open the door to find a bashful Prince looking back at me.

"Hi, I was wondering if you were ready for our date?" James says with a sheepish grin.

"Ready whenever you are," I reply. He loops my arm through mine and I wave back at my maids before leaving.

"So, what are we going to be doing on this date?" I ask.

He smiles at me and shakes his head, "It is a surprise."

"You should know that I am not big on surprises," I scold him.

"At least I can add that to the short list of what I know about you," he says with smirk.

"Haha, very funny. It's not like I know anything about you either," I retort.

He continues to lead me down the hallway and leads me to a set of doors that lead outside. For a second I think that he is leading me out to the garden, and I almost refuse to go. The garden is a special place for me and Maxon, and I knew that I would never be able to share that with anyone else. However, the doors don't lead out to the garden, but instead out to the driveway where a fancy red sports car is parked.

"What is this all about?" I ask.

"You clearly don't understand the meaning of a surprise," James says while laughing. I fix him with my most withering stare as a means to get him to confess what our plans are for today.

He rolls his eyes, "Fine, I will tell you. I thought it was best that we get away from the palace for awhile. You must be sick of being here all the time, and I feel weird being there with the guy who punched me sitting across the table from me at breakfast."

I look up at him and laugh, the first real time I had laughed in a long time. He had a point, wherever we were in the palace someone was likely to find us and that would just lead to gossip.

James walks over and opens the car door for me. "What I don't get to drive?" I tease.

"Not in this car you don't. Besides you don't know where we are going in the first place," he chuckles. I can tell how much he loves this car, and I knew there was no way he was going to let me drive it.

"Fine, I guess I am just along for the ride then," I say in mock anger.

He slides into the drivers side and starts the car. Before I can even blink we are driving past the guard gate. The guards look at us as we drive by with wide eyes. I sigh, so much for no palace gossip.

"Where are we going so early anyway?" I ask, truly curious about our destination.

"I thought we could get breakfast," he replies, while focusing on the road in front of us.

"You know they serve breakfast at the palace right? For free I might add," I tease.

"I told you before, I would much rather prefer eating breakfast staring at a beautiful woman than an angry Prince," he replies. He has a good point, I don't think I was ready to face Maxon again after last night.

James pulls up and parks in the parking lot of an old fashioned diner. "This is where we are going to breakfast?" I mutter.

"Hey, don't knock it till you try it. The last time I was at the palace I came here and had breakfast with Lacy, and we both loved it. I promise they have the best pancakes here," he says.

"Careful, I think you are drooling there," I kid. He actually reaches up and wipes at his before realizing that I was just joking.

"Haha, very funny. Come one let's go eat. I have heard that your appetite is legendary," he says while opening his car door. Great, so that's what I was known for, my appetite. Well, at least it was true. I open the car door and follow James into the restaurant.

A waitress seats us at a table and hands us some menus. She obviously doesn't recognize us. Now I see why James was dressed so casually in a sweatshirt and jeans, I had to admit he looked rather good in it.

"So do you know what you want?" he asks, interrupting my chain of thought. I hadn't even noticed that the waitress had come back and was staring at me impatiently while tapping her foot.

"Oh yeah, I guess I will have your legendary pancakes," I tell the waitress. She looks over at James, who orders the same thing.

"So tell me a little about yourself," I ask James.

"There isn't much tell. I have a little sister, whom you've met. Let's see, what else? I love animals, which pertains to the next part of our date, and I suck at drawing," he says.

"Really? My sister May is actually excellent at art, maybe I could have her teach you sometime," I reply.

"Wow, this date is going so well you are already ready to introduce me to your family!" he responds with a smirk. I reach across the table and playfully smack him in the arm. The waitress then returns with our food and we sit in silence while scarfing down our pancakes. At least he has just as big an appetite as I do, something I didn't even think was possible. After we are done eating James pays the bill and we head back out to the car.

"Where to now?" I ask.

"I still don't think you understand the meaning of a surprise," he says with a wink.

He quickly speeds away and we begin to drive down the freeway. All of a sudden he switches over to the exit, and before we pass it I see the sign points towards a zoo.

"We are going to the zoo aren't we?" I badger.

"Great job ruining the surprise," he says with a frown.

"Oh you'll be fine you big baby. Besides I told you multiple times I hate surprises," I reply with a chuckle.

We reach the zoo and go through the gates. He buys our tickets for us and we exit the car. When we walk in the first thing I see are the penguins. I let out a little squeal and run over.

"So, I assume you like animals too then," he says from behind me. I turn around and smile up at him.

"How could anyone not like animals?" I reply.

We continue to walk around the zoo looking at all the animals. When we approach one of the last exhibits, James stops me, "Okay, so this is the last part of the surprise." He grabs my hand and practically drags me into the Australian Mammal house. There waiting for us inside is a zookeeper who leads us behind one of the doors that says 'For Personnel Only'. We walk down the hall behind the door and finally the zookeeper comes to another set of doors and opens them.

James pulls me through, and I notice we are right in the middle of one of the animal exhibits. Over in the corner I see a the most adorable animal munching on some hay.

I shriek, "Oh my god! Is that a wombat?"

James looks at me with surprise, "You actually know what those are?"

"Of course I do!" I reply. "They are only the most adorable animals ever born!"

James chuckles and leads me up to it. "Go ahead," he says. "You can pet it." I slowly reach out and stroke the animal.

"She is so soft," I respond, sounding like a little girl.

James walks up next to me and joins me. We both kneel in silence petting the adorable creature. She barely even notices us and continues to munch on her hay. After about a half an hour of this the zookeeper returns and tells us we have to go. I sigh and stand up, and watch the wombat waddle away to her log.

"Did you like the surprise?" James asks hopefully.

"You may just have changed my mind about the whole surprise idea," I say while walking away.

We head back to the car, both not wanting to talk after the moment we just experienced together. James drives the car back to the palace and when we return he comes over to open my door for me.

"I just wanted to tell you that I had a really great time," I say with a huge grin.

"I'm glad," he replies while moving closer to me. I know exactly what he has in mind, and I decide to let him do it. He pulls me into him and places a soft kiss on my lips. When we break apart I notice the huge grin on my face.

"Come on, we had better get you back in the palace before people start thinking I kidnapped you," he says in a joking tone. He takes my hand and we enter the palace again.

Maybe this Prince James wasn't so bad after all...

**Okay guys, I am so sorry. I know that a lot of you guys don't really like James, but he really isn't such a bad guy. That being said, it does not mean that America is going to end up with James, but it also doesn't mean she will end up with Maxon. By the way I love wombats so that is why that is the animal they get to visit with. Even though there was no Maxerica in this chapter I still hoped you enjoyed it. At least America had a good time on her date. Anyways, please review, favorite, and follow. I hope I didn't just lose all of my readers after this chapter because I love ya guys!**

**What time is it? Shout Out Time!**

**going for the win: Sorry, no spoilers. I feel so evil saying that (cue evil laugh). Hopefully this chapter didn't upset you too much. Thanks for reading!**

**linnearothi: Sorry you don't like James, that probably means you hated this chapter. Sorry about that, but this chapter doesn't mean America will end up with James. I also promise more Maxerica in future chapters.**

**ThisGirlActuallyReads: Yeah, lots of drama in this story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**N: You will just have to wait and see who America ends up with. ;) I hope you keep reading in the meantime.**

**The Devil Wears Westwood: I know, I love Maxerica too, but maybe America belongs with someone else, or not. You will just have to wait and see...**

**C.F Ryan2: Aww I am so flattered you think the story is amazing. I hope you liked the chapter!**

**flowergirl123456: Yay! You are like my first Team James person! No promises of who America will end up. I hope you keep reading to find out!**

**idk0: I am 17 years old. :)**

**Kiren: Glad you loved the comeback, and I think that this time Maxon is going to have to fight for himself. No spam this time either! Hehe...**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: Don't worry I bet you are a great Maxerica fan. I am so glad you like James, you are like one of two people who do. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Luxter101: Glad you liked the twist. Hopefully this chapter lived up to your wait. Thanks so much for reading!**

**Blondie: I know I felt bad for America too. So glad you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one too. Thanks for reading!**

**Daniluvxx: America isn't quite sure what she feels right now, she is just getting to know James. And I am glad you liked jealous Maxon, I did too, kind of a taste of his own medicine. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Shout out to agb1700 of course because she is super awesome and even mentioned me on her profile page. She always says I don't have to give her a shout out, but she is so amazing that I just have to.**


	11. Chapter 11- The Promise

**YAY! This is for all of those Maxerica fans out there! There is a little Jamerica, but it is mostly Maxerica fluff. I hope you enjoy and I love ya guys!**

When I wake up the next morning I smile, thinking about the day I had had yesterday. James really did make me feel like a Princess.

I hear my door open and look up to see Lucy standing in the door way. I had requested to have only Lucy come for the first half an hour of getting ready, to avoid letting the other maids see my scars. Lucy politely nods her head at me and heads to the bathroom to start my normal morning routine.

I bathe rather quickly today and Lucy begins on my makeup before my other maids arrive. When Anne and Mary arrive they immediately start out on my hair. Luckily, they do not question why I only wanted Lucy for the first part of the morning. After I am dressed and ready to go I head down to breakfast.

The first thing that I notice when I enter is that Maxon is not sitting at the head table with the King and Queen. I look all over the dining room, but he is no where to be found. As I am doing my sweep I notice James staring at me with a smile on his face. I quickly smile back and proceed to go sit with the rest of the girls. Until James officially proposed I was still a member of the Selection.

When I sit down Celeste leans across the table towards me. "So America, where were you yesterday?" she asks, with arched eye brows.

"I was actually out with Prince James," I reply, making sure to use the proper title with his name. I wouldn't want the girls to get the wrong idea of how our time was spent.

"What do you mean out?" Kriss asks, obviously filled to the brim with curiosity. "Are you saying he actually took you out of the palace?" she continues, after I proceed to ignore her previous questions.

"Yes, he took me out for breakfast and then we went to the zoo together," I reply, not making eye contact with her. When I look back at her I can practically see the smoke coming out of her ears.

"Why do you get to leave the palace grounds?!" Kriss asks angrily. I decide to ignore that question, knowing that anything I say will just proceed to anger her further.

"You know what? I am not that hungry after all. I will see you ladies in the Women's room after you are finished eating," I say. I can see the shock on all of their faces. I know they were all thinking, 'How could America not be hungry? Is there an apocalypse coming that I didn't know about?" Quite frankly I am starving, but I didn't want to be bothered with anymore of their incessant questions.

I make my way towards the Women's Room, hoping to find some time to myself before all of the other girls join me. When I enter the room I sit on one of the couches and grab one of the magazines that Celeste is constantly reading. The cover of the magazine has photos of all of use who are still in the Selection and the title reads, "Who is the Nation's Favorite?" I know that I shouldn't care what other people think of me, but my curiosity gets the better of me and I turn to the page where the poll is located.

The results definitely shock me. Somehow I am in first place with 60% and Kriss is behind me with 25%. Celeste is in dead last, which makes me laugh. Apparently the country actually likes me, and that only strengthens my resolve to do what is best for my people. I close the magazine with a sigh and lean back into the couch. Just as I am about to fall asleep the door opens and I hear several voices overlapping each other.

I sit up and see all of the girls entering the room. They come over to me and we begin to go over the final details of the ball. I tell the girls about my ideas for the food. The main course will be chicken with mashed potatoes, and the dessert will be chocolate cake, which I happen to know is Maxon's favorite. I have hired a string quartet to play the majority of the ball, but a famous singer would also be coming to sing a couple of songs. Apparently Celeste is very happy in my choice of singers because she has been to practically all of the singer's concerts.

After an hour or so of planning the doors open again and Lacy enters. She runs over to me and drags me to my feet. "Come on America!" she exclaims, practically dragging me out of the room. I turn back towards the girls shrugging my shoulders. Elise smiles in understanding, while both Kriss and Celeste pretend to not notice what just happened.

"Where are we going Lacy?" I ask, trying not to laugh at the excited girl.

"It's a surprise," she says with a giggle.

"Your family and surprises," I mutter under my breath.

She continues to drag me down the hallway up to a set of doors. Lacy stands on her toes and covers my eyes with her hands. "Don't peak," she squeals. The guards in front of us proceed to open the doors and before I even enter the room I hear a girlish shriek.

"What was that?" I ask, trying to wiggle out from Lacy's hands. All of a sudden I feel a pair of arms wrapped around my waist and Lacy reveals her hands to reveal my little sister May hugging me.

"May! What are you doing here?" I shout with excitement.

"Prince James sent for me to come here and visit. Mom and dad couldn't come because they had to stay home with Gerad, but I still wanted to come see you," she says, in her usual rapid form of speech. Out of the corner of my eye I see James standing next to his sister smiling.

"You did this?" I ask him. He begins to walk towards me, "Well you said yesterday you had a little sister, and that she could teach me how to draw. So I thought, why not bring her to visit the palace?"

I smile at him, "Thank you so much! You have no idea how much I have missed my family, especially May."

"I just put myself in your shoes, and couldn't imagine being away from Lacy as long as you have been away from May," he says while shaking his head. "I will leave you two to talk then. Come on Lacy," he calls. They both exit the room and I am left with my sister.

"Okay Ames, tell me what is going on. Why is the Prince of Spain bringing me to the palace to see you?" she asks, with her hands on her hips.

"It's a long story, but why don't we go for a walk?" I ask. I don't want to tell May too much about what is going on, out of fear that the King will try to do something to harm her if she tells anyone else. I wasn't sure how much of a secret my soon to be forced engagement was, but I knew I couldn't risk it.

As we begin to walk down the hallway I am so distracted by the conversation with my sister that I bump right into someone. I look up to see a familiar pair of brown eyes, that can only belong to Maxon.

"Oh! Hello America, I see your little sister is here," he says while smiling down at her. May can barely contain her excitement at seeing Maxon again. She practically wiggles out of her skin.

"Yes, Prince James brought her over to visit for awhile," I reply.

"Ah, well that is nice of him. Do you mind if I steal you away for a little while America? I was hoping to take you out on a date and talk," he says while staring down at his shoes, clearly nervous about what my answer will be.

"Sure, that would be great. May why don't you go the Women's Room and talk to the other girls. I won't be gone long," I nudge her off towards the direction of her destination.

After May has left Maxon takes my hand and begins to walk with me. "Are you sure it's okay for me to still be going out on dates with you?" I ask.

"Until Prince James proposes and I have officially released you, you are still apart of the Selection, and I have the right to take you out on as many dates as you want," he says with a smirk. He clearly wasn't going to just hand me over to James, and I was glad to see some fight in Maxon.

He takes me outside to our favorite spot, the bench in the garden, where there is a picnic blanket spread out with a basket laid on top of it. He proceeds to lead me over and we both sit down.

"America, please tell me that you are not actually falling for James?" Maxon practically pleads.

"Look Maxon, if anything he is just a friend. You have to know that I love you, and I am only with James for the sake of our nation. He means nothing to me, compared to how much you mean to me," I say, trying to express how much I truly love Maxon.

Maxon leans in towards me and my lips meet his. The kiss I shared with James yesterday put butterflies in my stomach, but Maxon's kiss fills me with white hot passion. His kisses are like a fire that can't be put out. I can feel his need to be closer to me and I feel the exact same need. We finally break apart and I lay back on the blanket. Maxon lays down next to me and reaches for my hands. For a while we just lay like that, completely at peace. Maxon suddenly springs to his feet. I look up at him questioningly. He quickly pulls me to my feet and begins to lead me back towards the palace.

Once we are inside Maxon continues to pull me down the hallway and up the stairs to the third floor. This is the floor where only royalty stays, and I begin to wonder why Maxon is taking me up here. We reach a set of doors and when he opens them I see the most beautiful room. The walls are painted the same color blue as the sky, and in the center of the room is a canopy bed with a pale blue comforter and white sheets.

Maxon whispers in my ear, "This is the Princess Suite. I designed it for you. This room is a promise, a promise that no matter what happen you will eventually become my bride. I don't care what I have to do, I am not just going to let you go."

At the moment I forget all about what it would mean to turn down James' proposal, all I can think about is the wonderful man standing in front of. I place my hands around his neck and pull myself into him. Our kisses are filled with a frenzy that I have never felt before. He nips at my lip and I moan softly. He stops kissing me for a moment and looks at me teasingly. All of a sudden he lifts me off of my feet and drops me onto his bed, before continuing to kiss me. His lips make their way down my neck and I reach for the bottom of his shirt, taking it off with one swift motion. He reaches for the back of my dress and unzips it. I know that if we don't stop soon that there is no going back. I softly push Maxon away and shake my head.

"Maxon, we can't do this. Not now anyway. You promised me that one day we will be married, and I want to promise to save this for our wedding night," I say, trying to slow my breathing.

Maxon slowly rolls away from, "You're right. I want our first time to be special, not just something that happens in the heat of the moment."

I stand up and have Maxon zip up the back of my dress. I walk over to the mirror and fix my hair, which is now completely tangled. Maxon gets up and walks over to me, placing a soft kiss on the top of my head. "I should be going," he says. I nod my head and watch as he leaves the room. After a few minutes I decide it is best that I leave to and when I exit I walk right into someone.

James laughs, "Hey, I have been meaning to run into you. Not literally of course."

James takes in my disheveled appearance. "Look," he says, "I know that you love Maxon, and are being forced to marry me. I also know that he has your heart, and that I am nothing more than a friend to you, but I think I may be falling for you America. I understand that you don't feel the same way, but I hope that over time I can earn pieces of your heart, and that one day you will give me the whole thing. You don't have to say anything back, but I want you to know that I am going to fight to earn your love."

With that he walks away and leaves me standing dumbfounded. I can't picture my life with any other man than Maxon, but apparently another man can picture his life with me.

**What did you guys think? What about all those Maxerica fans out there? What about those Jamerica fans? I know you guys are out there. Please review, follow, and favorite. Okay, so here is a question for you guys. When you review put who you are rooting for, Maxon or James. Whichever gets the most will decide something in the next chapter, don't worry it has nothing to do with who America picks, but it will decide who saves her. (A little bit of mystery) Love ya guys!**

**Shout Out Time!**

**Guest: Here is some Maxerica fluff for you. I am a hardcore Maxerica fan when it comes to the original series, but I don't want to say either way here because that might reveal who America picks in the end, and I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise! Thanks for saying I am an amazing writer, that means a lot. ;)**

**going for the win: Let me just start off by saying you are like the best reader and reviewer. Ahhh! Your puppy dog eyes are starting to work. (whispers to self: must remain strong) **

**Daniluvxx: James is a little bit of a romantic, but I think he is funny at times. I will try to incorporate a little more of his funny side in. Thanks for reading!**

**OriginalKieraC: I can't kill of James! What would be the fun of the story then? Thanks for reading!**

**SJWrites2014: Thank you so much! I am glad you like James. I tried to make him seem nice and sweet, I don't want people to hate him. I want people to actually wonder who America will end up with, and if I make him a horrible person, then everyone will know that America ends up with Maxon, but she may not. ;)**

**C.F Ryan2: Here is some Maxerica for you. :) Glad you love the story and that you think it is creative. I hope you keep reading!**

** : Yay! I am so glad you like James, you are one of the few! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, although there wasn't very much Jamerica in it.**

**kaylie2000: Maxon and America may or may not end up back together. I hope the Maxerica fluff helped tie you over. Thank you so much for saying I am an amazing writer!**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: Yay! I am glad you loved the chapter, and I hope you liked this one too.**

**Kiren: OMG! A fellow wombat lover! Plus you love James, which is super awesome. Glad to see that you love a character that I created. Hope you keep enjoying the story!**

**glorystar12344: I think Maxon may just start to fight for Maxerica. I do usually try to update everyday, but it just depends on how busy I am.**

**Blondie: Yay! I am glad you are starting to like James a bit. Also glad you liked the longer chapter, this one was a little long too. Hope you liked it!**

**jstachew: I am so glad you love the story. I promise to keep updating! :)**

**Another shout out to agb1700, who claims she isn't amazing, but of course she is! She is also a Jamerica lover, or an Ames lover, as she calls them. I will continue to keep writing you amazing shout outs, as long as you continue to be an amazing reader!**


	12. Chapter 12- The Measuring Contest

**A little bit of a shorter chapter today, sorry about that. After looking at all the reviews there was like one more vote for Maxon than James. It was really close though. Enjoy the chapter!**

After my conversation with James, and my make out session with Maxon, I decide that it would be best to take my dinner in my room that night. I inform my maids of my decision and they leave to go get my meal. I decide since I am just going to stay in my room that there is no need to wear a dress anymore. I take out my pair of spandex shorts I brought from home and a sports bra. When I get done changing I grab a book from my shelf and settle into bed.

The book is called, "Happy Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," and is about a boy who is a wizard, and goes to a school the specializes in magic. I have never read it before, but apparently Maxon loves them and has been trying to get me to read them since we first became friends. Just as I began to relax, delving into the magical world of Harry Potter, the rebel alarm goes off.

I spring out of bed and run to the door. When I pull them open I find a rebel smiling back at me.

"Ahh, Lady America I presume. Pleasure to meet you," he says while grabbing my arms. He begins to drag me down the hall as I scream for help. The hallway is completely empty, as everyone is still at dinner. I decide that they only person that is here to save me is myself, and I do the one thing that will incapacitate any man for a short period of time. I kick him right between the legs. When he bends down from the pain I manage to wiggle out of his arms and take off running. I am too busy looking behind me at my previous captor that I don't notice the rebel standing in front of me.

His arms slam into my as I run into him. He laughs, "We have quite the little fighter over here, don't we?" I spit in his face. His smile is quickly wiped off of his face and he slaps me across my own. "You insolent little girl. You are lucky I have orders to bring you back alive, or I would kill you right here and now."

The other rebel, who I had briefly incapacitated, comes over to join his friend. He is clearly still in pain, which gives me the slightest bit of satisfaction. This sense of satisfaction is short lived though, as they each take one of my arms and pin me in between them. A swift quick to the groin wasn't going to get me out of this one.

From behind me I hear a gun go off and one of the rebels next to me fall to the ground, followed by another shot and the other rebel falls. I turn around to see my savior.

"America, are you okay?" Maxon says, rushing up to me and looking me up and down for injuries. He notices the welt across my face from when the rebel slapped me and reaches up to touch it. "He hit you didn't he?"

"I'm okay. I promise. We just need to get to the safe room," I plead. Maxon grabs my hand and we begin to run to main safe room, where the rest of Maxon's family awaits. As we run I think about May, and hope that she managed to get to the safe room okay. We almost reach the safe room when I trip over my own stupid feet and twist my ankle. I let out a cry and fall to the ground. Maxon stops and picks me up in his arms and proceeds to run to the safe room door. He punches in the code and the door slowly slides open.

As we enter the room I can hear gunshots coming from behind us. Maxon carries me over to one of the cots that are against the wall and gently sets me down. He sits down next to me and holds my hand.

"How is your ankle?" he asks. I look down at it and notice that it is fairly swollen.

"I think I just sprained it. It should be okay as long as I rest it," I reply.

"Well you are still going to go see the doctor as soon as the attack is over," he says, obviously more concerned about my health than I currently was. I decide that it is best not to argue with him because he will just end up winning.

I notice James standing over in the corner with his parents and sister, and my own sister sitting on one of the cots talking to Elise. May waves at me and I smile back at her. James looks up to see me looking at him and he begins to walk over. Maxon notices him right away and stands up.

"I think you should go back by your parents. I can take care of America by myself," Maxon snarls.

"Well you obviously can't because you put her life in danger every time there is a rebel attack," James responds, crossing his arms.

"Why don't you just whip them out and measure, so we can settle this debate about whose is longer?" I ask.

They both look down at me, as if it was the first time they were noticing I was there.

James smiles at me, "If we did, you should know that mine is definitely longer." I snort in response to his remark. Maxon looks like he is ready to continue arguing when King Clarkson interrupts.

"Lady America, I see you are dressed properly, as always," he says sarcastically. I look down at myself and realize that I forgot my robe in my rush to get to the safe room.

"I was in a hurry, on account of the fact that I didn't want to die. Modesty wasn't really the main thing on my mind," I say, maintaining eye contact. I don't really now what causes me to get sarcastic and snarky with the King, but it may have something to do with the fact that he is a class A jerk.

The King grunts and returns his attention to the work on his lap. James chuckles to himself, while Maxon continues to glare at him. Apparently Maxon was far from letting his grudge against his James, although I couldn't really blame him for it.

The room is filled with tension, most of it coming from the two men having a glaring contest in front of me.

"So... What do you guys think about that Harry Potter kid? He's pretty awesome," I say, trying to at least diffuse some of the tension. Of course they both ignore me. I sigh and lean back against the wall. Thankfully, a guard comes into the room and says that we are free to go.

Maxon bends down and scoops me off of the cot. James begins to follow Maxon out of the room.

"Where do you think you are going?" Maxon asks James accusingly.

"I want to make sure America is fine," James replies, not afraid of Maxon in the slightest. James seems to have forgotten that just two days earlier Maxon punched him in the nose.

"She is fine," Maxon growls back.

"I would like to make sure for myself. Thank you very much," James says.

"Umm guys, girl down here with a super swollen ankle," I say, waving my hands in between them. Maxon takes off at a brisk walk down the hallway with me in his arms.

The doctor escorts Maxon and I, along with James, into one of the private rooms to take a look at my ankle. I was right of course, it was just a minor sprain. All I need to do is ice it, wrap it, and try to avoid putting too much pressure on it. While the doctor is giving my diagnosis Maxon stands on one side of me holding my hand, while James stands on the other side.

After I prescribed some painkillers, and ordered to go and get some rest. I leave to go hobble back to my room. Maxon reaches over to pick me up again, but I put my hand on his chest.

"No, I got this. I can't deal with the two of you anymore tonight," I complain. "I know you guys don't get along, but all of the testosterone in the room is beginning to choke me. Now good night."

With that I slowly but surely make my way back to my room. When I reach my room I collapse into bed, but I notice something crinkling under my pillow. I lift it up to find a note.

_Dear Lady America,_

_You got lucky tonight. In the future you should be a lot more careful about who you decide to trust._

_With warmest regards,_

_The Southern Rebels_

I crumple the note into a ball and throw it across the room in frustration. It felt like I couldn't trust any one any more, and two of the people I could were too busy glaring at each other to even notice me.

My life was a complete and utter mess. The King of my nation hated me, I was being forced to marry someone I didn't love for the sake of my country, and the rebels basically had a bounty out on my head. I sigh, just another day in the life of America Singer.

**Did you guys like it? I hope you guys did! So Maxon ends up being the hero, but although he did win that battle, it doesn't mean he will win the war. Please review, favorite, and follow. The next chapter, or the chapter after that is going to be the ball chapter. I decided that whoever the 100th reviewer is will get a character in the ball scene. I will let whoever that is know and they can PM me ideas for their character. Thanks for being the best readers! Love ya guys!**

**Shout Out Time!**

**The Devil Wears Westwood: James does deserve love too, glad you agree. Sorry, no Maxon proposal right now. :( I also can't promise Maxerica, sorry. :( By the way I love your story! Thanks for reading!**

**mpink897: Ahh! I am so glad you get excited when there is an update! That means a lot. Thanks for reading!**

**SelectionLoverForever: Looks like Maxon is the savior! Glad you liked the chapters, and I hope you continue to read the story! :)**

**marissalara97: I hate the King too! He is the worst! I hope you liked the chapter!**

**HorseGalFangirl9: Hehe, I hope this chapter helped! Thanks so much for reading, and being a fantastic PM buddy!**

**mira: So glad you like James! He is the first character I have ever created, so I have to say I like him too. **

**flowergirl123456: Some variety would be nice, but I can't promise anything right now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Kiren: OMG! I own a wombat stuffed animal too! So sorry your guinea pig died. **

**I have a pet bunny who I love very much, and he kind of reminds me of wombat because of the whole rodent thing. I am so glad you think my story is good enough to favorite. I honestly did not think I was that good of a writer, so that means a lot. **

**Blondie: Yay! I like the longer chapters too. Thanks for the compliment. You are always so sweet. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**jstachew: I have actually read your story, and I love it! Sometimes it is hard to write another love interest for America, especially with so many great Maxerica fans out there. Thanks so much for reading!**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: Don't worry, I am sure Maxon will forgive you. ;) Thanks for reading!**

**Bookworm973: Yay! Glad you like the story! I hope you continue to read and enjoy!**

**going for the win: I love your reviews! Still not giving away any spoilers or hints though. ;)**

**Daniluvxx: You are welcome for the fluff. I love to write fluff of any kind. Glad it made you feel better about them. I hope you continue to read and enjoy!**

**Of course my customary shout out to agb1700, who is amazing!**


	13. Chapter 13- The Show

**Sorry the chapter is so late tonight guys! All characters belong to Kiera Cass, beside the ones I created. The character, Bella, belongs to PEETAMELLARKLOVER123, who I let write a character because she was the 101st reviewer, and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make contact with the 100th reviewer. I hope you enjoy the chapter! Love ya guys! **

The haunting note that I received keeps me up for most of the night. I toss and turn, trying to get the menacing words out of my head. No matter how hard I try, certain questions keep arising. Who couldn't I trust? More importantly, who could I?

Before I know it, light is streaming through my window, and I haven't gotten an ounce of sleep. I sigh and sit up in bed, running my hands through my hair. I grab my robe and decide that a walk around the palace may help settle my mind. I know that I was supposed to be resting my ankle, but I figured one night was good enough. Even though I was explicitly told three days.

I walk down the hall lost in my own train of thought when I notice my sister May coming towards me. I smile and wave at her and she comes running up to me. "What are you doing up so early this morning?" I ask, concerned as to why she is not sleeping.

"The rebel attack left me a little rattled," she says, shuttering as she speaks. I wrap her up into a hug, and begin to think maybe it was a mistake to have her at the palace.

"Ames," she says. "I can tell you are worrying, and you need to stop."

My little sister may know me a little bit too well. I smile at her and pull her in for another tight hug.

"Umm Ames, I can't breath," she mutters.

"Sorry, I just want to keep you safe," I say, ruffling her hair.

"Well, there is one thing you can do to make it up to me," she says, while trying to fix her hair.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"Well," she says while twirling her hair. "A dance company is coming to Angeles today, and my best friend Bella is going to be performing in it. I promised I would try to come see her. You now how rare it is that a five actually makes it into a well known dance company, especially since she is only 13 years old."

"Wait. Isn't that the girl you dared to eat a bug, and she ended up running home screaming to her mom?" I ask, chuckling to myself.

"Yep, that's her. So can we go?" she pleads with her doe eyes.

"May, you know I'm not allowed out of the palace," I inform her.

"Oh really, because I heard you went on a little date with a certain Prince named James," she says, with a mischievous smirk.

"How did you hear about that?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Let's just say that your maids are rather chatty," she says, while examining her nails.

"Fine, I will ask Maxon, but no promises," I tell her before storming off back to my room. God, sometimes my sister could be so annoying. Of course I loved her, but she always knows what buttons of mine to push. I slam the door behind me and hear May laughing out in the hallway.

I flop down in my bed and stare at the ceiling for a little while. Finally I decide that I should probably write a letter to Maxon and ask him about May's request. I take out a sheet of paper and pen from my night stand and write,

_Dear Maxon,_

_May is basically begging me to take her to a dance performance tonight. Her friend is performing, and I know that she would love to go see her. Passes out of the palace are few and far between, but imagine me writing this letter with puppy dog eyes. Please, please, please Maxon! I know my sister won't let this go until you say yes, so you can either deal with me or her. You should probably choose me._

_Love, _

_America_

I seal up the envelope and ring one of my maids to come collect it. I then go to take my morning bath and relax a bit before breakfast. After my bath I decide to do my hair by myself that morning and secure it into a simple french braid. My maids then arrive and do my makeup, which I am horrible at. Mary zips me into a simple lace black dress, with a sash around my waist, and pairs it with nude pumps.

After I finish getting dressed I hear a knock on my door. I have a pretty good idea of who it is. The doors swing open to reveal May standing there with her hands on her hips.

"So, did you ask him?" she questions, sauntering over to my bed and plopping herself down.

"I did, but he hasn't written me back yet," I tell her, checking my appearance one more time in the mirror before turning towards her.

"Actually," Mary interjects. "He had me stand there until he wrote a response. I left the letter on your dresser.

May claps her hands in excitement and I roll my eyes as I go to pick up the letter. I tear it open and read what Maxon wrote.

_My Love America,_

_I would be delighted to take you and May out tonight. I sent one of my maids out to procure the tickets and we will leave right after dinner. Tell May to take it easy on you, Prince's orders._

_Love, _

_Maxon_

After reading the note I find a little scribble on the bottom, almost as if it was an afterthought.

_By the way, I am so very sorry about the way I acted last night. It seems I can't control my emotions when I am around you. Please forgive me._

Well, at least Maxon realized when he was being a jerk, I couldn't say the same for his father.

May looks at me with hopeful eyes, clearly eager to hear the news, "Well, what did he say?"

"He says he would be delighted to take us, and that you shouldn't pester me so much," I reply in a joking tone. She sticks her tongue out at me, and I return the gesture.

"Are you satisfied now? Can we go to breakfast?" I ask.

"Yes, I am quite pleased. We can go now," and with that May skips out of my room and down to breakfast. I shake my head at her back. That girl sometimes...

After I fairly boring breakfast I take May to the movie theater. We spend the rest of the day watching silly romantic comedies, and for a while even Elise joins us.

An hour before dinner I take May to my room to get ready for our night out. My maids help both of us get ready. May decides to keep her hair down, and changes into a light blue dress. Lucy secures my hair in an elegant up-do with pieces left out to frame my face. The dress they have designed for me is strapless with a tight fitting bodice decorated with beads. The bodice overlaps slightly over the skirt, which ends just above my knees. The pale champagne color of the dress makes my hair shine.

"Wow Ames, you look fantastic," May says, clearly in awe of my maids handiwork.

"You look pretty fantastic yourself," I say, and she absolutely does.

We head down to dinner and all of the girls bombard me with questions. "Where are you going tonight?" Kriss badgers.

"Why do you think I am going somewhere?" I ask coyly.

"Oh please America, don't give me that. My maids told me that you had a date out of the palace tonight with Maxon," Kriss says, while angrily cutting her steak.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a date," I reply. Something really had to be done with this whole gossip issue at the palace.

"What would you call it then?" Celeste snaps.

"Well, since my little sister is coming with, I would probably just call it an outing," I smirk.

Celeste rolls her eyes and Kriss throws her napkin on the table and storms out. "If it makes a difference, I hope you have a good time," Elise says, smiling at me. I was really starting to like Elise more and more, and Kriss less and less.

Maxon comes over to our table and greets all of use before he takes my hand and helps me stand up. My ankle doesn't really bother me, but Maxon keeps treating me like I am made of glass. He then turns to May and asks, "Are you ready to go?"

She smiles up at him and takes his offered arm. Before we leave I notice Prince James sitting in the corner glaring at Maxon's back. I swear he was going to have an aneurism if he concentrated any harder.

We arrive at the theater with flashing lights surrounding our car. I know that it is the paparazzi and I prepare myself before exiting the car. I wrap my arm around May's shoulders and smile for a few pictures before dragging her inside. May is clearly drinking up the spotlight, but I hate it. Maxon clears a path in front of us and we finally reach the safety of the theater.

An usher leads us up to our own private box and May squeals. "This whole thing is for us?" she asks Maxon.

"I wanted to treat the two most beautiful women in my life tonight," he replies, kissing me on the top of my head.

We sit in our seats and the performance begins. The story is called, "The Nutcracker," a ballet that I was familiar with, due to the fact that I played the music every year for it at our local performance.

May's friend takes the stage, she is playing Clara, and she dances beautifully. After the performance is over Maxon tells us he has another surprise.

I swear if I get one more surprise, I was seriously going to flip my lid. May, on the other hand loves surprises and bounces up and down eagerly in her seat.

"I heard that your friend was dancing as Clara tonight, and I thought you might want to go backstage and see her," Maxon says, smiling.

May jumps out of her seat and tackles Maxon with a hug. Maxon laughs at her obvious display of exuberance. He leads us down the stairs and backstage where all of the dancers are chatting. The minute we enter all of the talking stops and everyone turns to look at us. Everyone is silent, except for the girl standing in the middle who lets out a little shriek and runs towards May. They collide in a hug, and jump up in down arm and arm. I shake my head in laughter at them.

Maxon waves at the rest of the dancers and they just continue to stare at him. One woman, actually has the courage to come and speak to him. She is beautiful with long black hair and piercing blue eyes. Apparently she is the Prima Ballerina of the company. She bats her eyes and flips her hair, clearly trying to flirt with him. Her actions actually stir something inside of me and I step closer to Maxon. How rude could she be? She was flirting with a guy who was there with someone else, and was apart of a competition to find a wife. I mean, she must know that, unless she had been living under a rock for the past year.

She finally notices me standing next to Maxon and gives me a sly smile before walking away.

"Maxon, did you see that?" I ask, clearly upset about the whole situation.

"See what?" he asks, completely clueless to what just happened right in front of him.

"She was totally flirting with you!" I exclaim.

He laughs at how upset I am, which just makes me even more angry.

"Hey, you know I love you right now? I didn't even really notice her," he says, trying to comfort me.

"Whatever." I reply.

Maxon lifts my chin and I find myself staring into his eyes. He leans in closer to me, and I meet him the rest of the distance. Our kisses become more and more filled with passion, when I hear a cough from behind us. I suddenly remembered where we were.

Luckily, all of the dancers had left, besides May's friend. May was clearly the one who cleared her throat, and stands next to her friend, who are both clearly uncomfortable.

"Oh, sorry about that. We got a little carried away," I say, turning bright red. Maxon laughs and wraps his arm around my waist.

After we let May and Bella talk for a while we head back to the palace. Maxon walks me back to my room, and May tags along, after deciding that she doesn't want to be alone that night. I manage to shove May into my room and close the door so that Maxon and I can actually say goodnight without her staring at us.

He bends down and places one soft kiss on my lips before turning to walk down the hallway.

"Thanks for tonight!" I yell down the hall at him. "I had a great time!"

He turns around, "I could tell. No one kisses like that unless they're having a great time." I feel my face turning as red as a tomato and quickly open the door to my room.

May waits on my bed.

"So, what should we do tomorrow?" she asks, grinning from ear to ear. I pick up a pillow from my bed and throw at her.

"For that action right there, I am going to require an all expense paid shopping trip," May says, trying to remain serious.

"Haha, very funny. Now go to bed," I tell her. I swear May embodied the quote, no good deed goes unpunished.

**Did you like it? I hope you guys did. I promise the next chapter will be the ball chapter. Thanks so much for reading! I love ya guys!**

**Shout Out Time!**

**theoneforever: Glad you loved the chapter. Thanks so much!**

**KIERACASSRULES: YAY! Happy you love the story! I can't believe you read the whole thing in one sitting, that is awesome! I don't know if you saw the A/N, but you are the 100th reviewer, so you get to submit a character. Put the character in the next review so I can include them in the story. Make the character however you want! Thanks for reading!**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: DId you like your character? I really hope you did. Aww, thanks so much for loving the chapter!**

**Kiren: James and Maxon may have a cat fight coming up very soon. Trust me I hate Clarkson too. Thanks so much for reading!**

**fanficforev: I love responding to my reviewers! So here is one author who will always respond to your fantastic reviews. Thanks so much for reading!**

**Blondie: Aww, thanks for saying I am a talented writer. Perhaps, it isn't James, or the King. You will just have to wait and see. I promise to keep writing as long as you promise to keep reading! ;)**


	14. Chapter 14- The Ball

**Ball time! All characters belong to Kiera Cass, besides the ones that I have created. Enjoy the chapter! Love ya guys!**

Today is the day of the ball and I wake up to a certain someone bouncing up and down on my bed. "Uhhhh," I groan, rolling over onto my side.

"Ames, wake up! Today is the day of the ball!" May exclaims, shaking my shoulders.

I turn over to look at her, "May, the ball isn't for another twelve hours. There is still plenty of time to sleep."

"No there isn't Ames! You have to get up!" she yells in my ear.

Finally I relent and sit up in bed. She smiles at me, happy that she got me to get up. Being quite pleased with herself she hugs me before bounding down the hall back to her own room to get ready for the day.

"No one should have that much energy first thing in the morning," I mutter to myself. The amount of energy that girl had was truly boundless.

I told my maids that I wouldn't require their assistance that morning. Guests wouldn't be arriving until later, and it just so happened to be a Saturday, which meant that I could wear pants. I slip into my most flattering pair of jeans and a creamy lace top. I decide to at least wear a pair of black pumps to make the outfit a tad bit more formal.

When I walk in for breakfast James' eyes rest on me and he smiles at my choice of clothing. "I didn't know ladies of the Selection were allowed to wear pants, Lady America?" he jokes.

"Only on your Saturdays, Your Highness," I say the last part in a mocking fashion.

"Well, Prince Maxon, if I may make a suggestion? I think you should allow Lady America to wear pants like that everyday," he says, while winking at me.

I feel all of the blood rush to my face and glance over at Maxon, who is just as red as I am, but for a completely different reason.

"Thanks, I will take that under advisement," Maxon mumbles.

"Although, it's not as if Lady America will be around in the Selection much longer anyway," James says, smirking at Maxon.

Maxon jumps out of his seat with his fists curled into balls. For a second that I believe that James and Maxon will get into a full on brawl in the middle of breakfast, but instead Maxon storms out of the room. I run after him, shooting a glare at James before exiting.

I manage to catch up to Maxon and grab for his shoulder. "Don't listen to him Maxon, he is just trying to agitate you."

"Well, he is very good at it. I will give him that," Maxon says, shaking his head. "Look, I know you don't love him, but he obviously seems to care about you. Imagine how hard that is for me to see every day, in my own house."

"I get that, but I can't force him to stop. He also doesn't change the way I feel about you," I say, trying to lessen Maxon's anger.

"I just need some time to think. It is ultimately up to you who you choose, if you decide to marry James I will release you from the Selection," Maxon says, giving me a quick kiss on my head before turning and walking down the hall.

I decide to head back to breakfast, and when I renter everyone is staring at me. I quickly head over to my usual spot at the table. May leans into my ear and whispers, "What was that all about?"

I shake my head to tell her that I didn't want to talk about it now. No one talks much for the rest of the breakfast.

We then head to the ballroom to begin setting up for the ball that would be taking place there later that evening. I walk over to the string quartet and discuss some of the pieces they will be playing, and then decide to go to the kitchen to see how the food preparation is going.

When I enter the kitchen I notice a familiar blonde head of hair standing in the corner. I walk over to her and tap her on the shoulder. She turns around, and a giant grin forms once she realizes it's me. Marley grabs my hand and pulls me into one of the nearby pantries.

"Tell me the rumors about you going around the palace aren't true?" Marley questions.

"Which ones?" I ask. There were so many of them that I couldn't even be bothered to remember them all.

"The one about you and Prince James. What does Maxon have to say about all of that?" Marley asks, wiping her flour covered hands on her apron.

"He's not taking it too well. But Marley, I don't have a choice," I plead with her.

"America, stop it right now. This is not the stubborn girl I know and love. If you want to marry Maxon, and not Prince James, then fight for that," she scolds.

"But if I don't marry Prince James, there won't be an alliance between Illea and Spain," I inform her.

"Then try to make another deal with them. You are the most stubborn person I know. If anyone can get a country to agree to an alliance it's you," Marley says.

I pull her into a tight hug. I knew I was friends with this girl for a reason. She laughs as I squeeze her and then shoos me away, telling me, "To go get my prince."

I scurry back up the stairs and run back to my room to think about how I really wanted to go about doing this. Shortly after arriving back to my room I hear a knock on my door. I assume it's May and race over to the door, eager to talk to her about everything that has happened. I whip open the door to find a grinning Kriss on the other side.

"Oh Kriss. Come in," I tell her, opening the door up further for her. She smiles at me graciously and walks over to my vanity and sits in the chair.

"Well America, we promised each other that we would always be honest with each other when it comes to Maxon, and I want to make sure that I keep that promise," she says, while fixing her hair in the mirror.

"Okay..." I reply, looking at her quizzically.

"I just wanted to let you know that you should probably go ahead and marry Prince James," she says, continuing to check herself out in the mirror.

"Oh yeah, and why is that?" I ask, placing my hands on my hips.

"Because Maxon said that he wants to marry me. He said he has to let you marry Prince James, and besides he feels like he can't trust you any more. He said that you would be happy with Prince James, and that he loves me," she says, finally turning around to look at me.

"Get out!" I scream at her, pointing towards the door.

"Oh America, I only wanted to keep our promise," she says, while walking towards the door. As soon as she leaves I slam the door behind her and collapse into a fit of tears onto my bed.

It all made sense, Maxon said he needed time to think. Think about who he was going to marry. He figured that he couldn't have me and that Kriss was the next best thing. Fine, if Maxon didn't care about me enough to fight for me, then there was no need to fight for him. He had clearly moved on, and it was time for me to do the same.

I spent the rest of the day in my room, and no one came to visit me, except my sister, who after trying to engage me in conversation several times left me to myself.

Eventually my maids arrived to get me dressed for the night. I followed their orders in a catatonic state. They tried to question me about what was wrong, but soon gave up after seeing that there was no point.

I barely even noticed the beautiful dress that my maids had created for me. It was light gray with a strapless bodice. The bodice was covered with a lace overlay that went up over my shoulders. The belt was made of pearls and the skirt fanned out to my feet. The bottoms of the dress were also covered with a lace design, and the outfit was paired with silver pumps and pearl earrings. I looked beautiful, but I couldn't care less.

Soon after getting ready it was time for the ball. One of the guards came to my room to escort me down. When we reach the ballroom stairs I take a deep breath before stepping through the doors. For the second time that day everyone's eyes look up at me. I begin my descent down the stairs and when I reach the bottom someone reaches their arm out for me to take. I turn to see James smiling at me, and I can't help but smile back.

He leads me out to the dance floor and spins me around a couple of times. He actually manages to make me look like an adequate dancer, which is very difficult. After we dance for a couple of songs, I am left to dance with many foreign dignitaries, some who are just as bad at dancing as I am. When I finish dancing I notice Nicoletta standing in the corner waving at me. I smile and walk towards her.

She kisses both of my cheeks before pulling me into a hug. "America! How are you? More importantly how is my favorite royal couple?"

"I'm okay. Maxon and I on the other hand are not doing that great," I tell her.

She looks at me, her face filled with concern. "Why? What happened?"

"I will tell you all about it later, but I should go to my table, dinner is about to be served," I say, waving at her as I walk away.

After dinner and dessert, the singer I hired comes onto the stage and begins to perform. May runs up to me telling me how much she loves the singer and how beautiful the ball is. She sits with me for a while, but soon exits to go dance with some Prince or other. When the singer finishes her last song everyone applauds and James takes the stage.

"Sorry to interrupt everyone. America, will you please come up here?" he looks out into the audience for me.

I slowly make my way up onto the stage, wondering why he wanted me up there in the first place. When I reach him he takes my hand and kneels.

"America, you are the most beautiful, caring, and intelligent woman I have ever had the privilege to get to know. Will you marry me?"

I look out at all the people staring at me, hoping to find one face in the crowd. When I finally see him, he is whispering into Kriss' ear, and she is smiling up at him. Maxon really was going to marry Kriss, and here was my one shot to marry a great man. I could be happy with James, it would just take some time, and I had the rest of my life. I turn back towards James.

"Yes, I will marry you."

**So there it is. Did it all make sense? Did I rush through it too quickly? Let me know. America said yes, but the story isn't over yet. This doesn't mean she will end up with James in the end, but it also doesn't mean she will end up with Maxon. I hope you liked it! Please review, follow, and favorite. Love ya guys!**

**SHOUT OUTS!**

**Kiren: Go ahead, I won't try to stop you. ;) I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks for being such a fantastic reviewer and reader!**

**Blondie115: May is great with helping America get out of her head for a while. And I am glad that you like the story enough to continue reading! Yes, please PM me when you can! That would be awesome! Thanks for being such a faithful reader!**

**theoneforever: I love the idea for your character. I couldn't really put them in this chapter, but I promise they will be in a future chapter. I hope you liked the chapter!**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: Yay! I am so happy you liked your character! I am also glad you liked the chapter. I hope you liked this one too. Thanks for being such a great reader and reviewer.**

**And of course my special shout out to agb1700 who is the best reader and the best PM buddy. Thank you!**


	15. Chapter 15- The Temper Tantrum

**All characters belong to Kiera Cass, besides the ones I created. Happy reading and I love ya guys!**

James stands up and pulls me into a hug. I can hear the audience clapping, happy about our recent engagement. James steps back smiling at me, I return the smile. I repeatedly tell myself that I can be happy with James, this was the life that I had chosen.

James leads me off the stage and we are surrounded by people congratulating us. I look out into the crowd for Maxon, hoping to see his reaction, but he is no where to be found. Kriss stands alone where she and Maxon had been standing together earlier. She looks upset, and I assume Maxon is too because he obviously stormed out after I said yes. I don't know why he was so angry, he had made his choice and I had made mine.

James breaks away to go talk to his family and Nicoletta appears at my side. "Well, that was quite the surprise," she whispers into my ear.

I turn towards her, "Are you okay with this? I know how much you wanted Maxon and I to be together."

She waves off my question, "America, as long as you are happy, then I am happy." With a final smile she makes her way back through the crowd.

The next person to come up to me is my sister May. She is clearly happy about my engagement. "Ames, I can't believe you are getting married! Please tell me I get to be a bridesmaid!" she exclaims.

"Of course you can," I tell her. She squeals and runs off to go talk to James' sister Lacy. At least I already knew that they would get along. I just hoped that my parents would approve of James.

James sidles up next to me and takes my hand. "You scared me up there for a second. I thought you might say no," he says.

"Of course not," I reply, smiling up at him, not wanting him to now how close I was to saying just that. He places a soft kiss on my lips and leads me out onto the dance floor. He pulls me close to him and we sway back and forth for a while.

Soon there is a tap on James' shoulder and he turns around to see King Clarkson smiling back at him. "Do you mind if I cut in?" he asks, but knowing the King it wasn't really a request, but more of a demand. James releases my hand slowly, sensing the discomfort that I am currently feeling.

The King begins to dance with me, and we remain in silence. Just as the song is ending he leans into me and whispers in my ear, "Wise choice." With that he turns and disappears into the crowd. I stare after him for a minute before Lacy runs up to me and wraps her arms around my waist. I hesitantly hug her back, still frightened about my last encounter with the King.

"I can't believe I am going to have a sister," she squeals. I can tell that she is clearly excited to make me apart of her family, and it would be great to have another sister, especially one that reminds me so much of the one I already had. She pulls me over to her parents who offer up their congratulations.

"Welcome to the family," Queen Isabella says, offering me a warm smile.

Surprisingly King Antonio hugs me and pulls away smiling. At least one King seemed to like me. I offer up a smile back and he steps back to his wife. He kisses her temple, "She will be just as a good a Queen as the beautiful woman standing next to me."

A small smile crosses the Queen's face. It is easy to see how much they love each other, and I hope that one day I can feel the same way for James.

"And I am sure your son will make a great King," I reply, still blushing from his compliment.

James sneaks up to my side and wraps his arm around my waist, "Did someone mention me? Was it perhaps in a complimentary manner?"

"Don't say anything," Lacy warns. "We wouldn't his ego to get any bigger." She dodges the playful smack directed at her by her big brother. I smile at their playfulness. James' family reminded me of my own, and I was more than happy to join his.

"America dear, I was wondering if I could have tea with you tomorrow? I am afraid I haven't had much time to talk with you privately, and would love to get to know you more," Queen Isabella says.

"That would be fantastic," I reply. She smiles at me before pulling her husband out onto the dance floor.

"Your parents are so nice," I tell James, leaning into him. He smiles down at me.

"They can be, just don't dye your sister's hair bright purple by putting dye in her shampoo bottle," he says, smirking.

"You did that?" I ask, scowling at him.

"What? It was funny, and Lacy didn't really mind, but of course purple hair is not befitting for a Princess," he shrugs.

I shake my head at him. "So do you like the ring?" he asks, looking down at my hand.

I look at the new addition to my ring finger, and I have to admit it really is gorgeous. The band is thin and has diamonds surrounding it. In the middle of the ring is a large sapphire that glistens from the light. "Of course I love it. It is beautiful," I reply, reaching up to place a soft kiss on his lips. He grins at me and pulls me in for a deeper kiss. When we break apart I can tell that my face is bright red.

He reaches towards my face, "I love it when you blush."

"Really? I think it looks horrible," I reply.

"You could never look horrible," he says, placing a kiss on each of my flaming cheeks. James made me feel safe and wanted, but he lacked the passion that I had with Maxon. Maybe I just needed time to fully get over Maxon, and then the passion would come.

The ball slowly begins to wind down and I soon excuse myself to my room. Lucy helps me get undressed and put on my pajamas. The cuts on my back have now faded into pale pink lines. They are not as noticeable, but I know that I will be left with those scars as reminders of my times at the palace for the rest of my life. The minute I collapse into bed I fall asleep.

The next morning I wake up and the events of the next day begin to flood back to me. I was getting married. I examine the ring on my finger and sigh. It was hard to believe that in a mere matter of months I would be someone's wife.

I hear a knock on my door and before I can even call, "Come in!" Sylvia comes bursting into my room.

"Oh good, you're up. We decided to have a special Report today due to your engagement and our recent alliance with Spain. You will be standing behind stage with Prince James and you will come out when King Clarkson announces your engagement" she says in a rapid form of speech.

Before I can even ask her any questions she is already out the door, muttering under her breath about how much she has to do that day. I flop back in my bed and stare at the ceiling, trying not to think about the bust day ahead of me.

After getting ready for the morning I head down for breakfast. When I enter I head to my usual spot at the Selected spot, but I am stopped by a voice calling to me.

"America dear, you sit up here with me now," James calls. I look back and forth between the Royal table and the girls I am so used to sitting with. May is sitting next to Lacy chatting happily with her, and waves me over to join her. With one final glance back at my old life, I walk over to my new one.

James pulls out the seat next to him and I sit down. "You look beautiful this morning," he says appraising my outfit for the day. I smile in gratitude at him and proceed with eating my breakfast. James and I chat back and forth for the rest of the breakfast, and it takes me awhile to figure out that Maxon is not at the table. That boy really needed to get his act together and just be happy with the decision he had made.

When breakfast is over I head back to my room to relax. I sit down at my piano and play several variations. A knock sounds on my door and a maid is standing with a note for me. I open it to find a letter from Queen Isabella.

_America,_

_I hope that you can join me for tea now. Tea will be served in the garden. I look forward to speaking with you._

_Sincerely,_

_Queen Isabella_

After the maid leaves I slip on my shoes and head out to the garden. I see Queen Isabella sitting at a table next to some beautiful pink roses. I walk over to join her.

"America, great to see you dear. Please sit down," she says, gesturing to the open chair. "I wanted to meet with you today and tell you how happy I am to have you join my family. I can tell how much James cares for you, and that you will make him very happy. I saw your proposal on the Report a couple of weeks back, and loved it. I think your idea is fantastic. We have tried for many years to get Illea to demolish this foolish caste system, but they just won't listen."

"Really? Most found my proposal to be rash and stupid," I inform her.

She chuckles, "Yes, but that is just because they are not as open minded as you and I are. My husband was right, you will make a great Queen. You are intelligent and have the fiery personality needed to get things done."

"You really think so?" I ask. I had never heard such kind words of encouragement come from someone in such a high level of power.

"Of course dear," she replies with a smile. We sit and sip our tea, chatting about several different topics before Queen Isabella excuses herself to go to a meeting with her husband. She tells me that she is very much involved with the affairs of her nation, and often includes her own input in meetings. This information excites me greatly, because it means that one day my own ideas will be heard, and they would been seen as equal to James'.

After tea I return to my room to get ready for the Report. My maids decide to leave my hair down and apply minimal makeup, just a soft pink eyeshadow, a light coat of mascara, and a soft pink lip. The dress they put me in is light pink to match my lips. The straps are encrusted with jewels, and the belt is made of the same jewels. The dress is covered with tulle and reaches down to the top of my feet. My shoes are creamed colored with jeweled straps. I look in the mirror and see a Princess staring back at me. I smile at my maids before pulling them in for a group hug.

Mary tells me that a guard is at my door to take me down. I thank her and head over to door. The face that greets me on the other side is Aspen.

"Lady America," he says with a curt nod and extends his arm to me.

"Aspen, I am so sorry. I didn't know he was going to propose, I would have warned you if I knew," I plead, seeing how hurt he is.

"Whatever Mer. I don't want to talk about this right now," he says, shaking his head. We walk to the set of the Report in complete silence. As soon as we enter he drops my arms and disappears around the corner. James sees me enter and waves me over to him.

He kisses my hand and pulls me closer to him. Silvia comes over to tell us that the show would be starting soon and that we would go on after the new alliance is announced.

Gavril kicks off the show, and King Clarkson takes the stage. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am happy to announce that an alliance has been formed between Spain and Illea. Along with that alliance between nations, we have an alliance between two people. I am also pleased to announce the engagement of Prince James of Spain and Lady America of Illea." the King says, gesturing towards where James and I were standing backstage.

James and I step out into the blinding lights of the stage and wave at the crowd. The crowd cheers for us as we go to take our seats next to Gavril.

"Well this is quite the surprise!" Gavril exclaims. "How did this happen?"

"Lady America and I met when my family and I came to the palace, and we go to know each other. We found that we cared about each other quite a bit, and decided that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together," James says smiling at me the entire time.

"And Prince Maxon just let you have her?" Gavril asks.

"Well if you know Lady America, you would know that she does not belong to anyone, but Prince Maxon was kind enough to release her from the Selection," James says.

I glance over at Maxon, who is purposefully trying to avoid making eye contact with me. I know that he is basically engaged to Kriss, but the Selection is meant to last for another couple of weeks, so he won't be announcing it yet.

"Lady America, how do you feel about the engagement?" Gavril asks, trying to include me in the conversation.

"It is wonderful, Gavril. I am so grateful that I get to spend the rest of my life with such a kind and caring man," I reply, while James places his hand over mine.

"Well folks, that is all we have time for today, but we wish our newly engaged couple all of the best," Gavril says. The cameras then turn off and out of the corner of my eye I see Maxon storm off the stage. Kriss quickly scurries after him. I roll my eyes, Maxon's temper tantrums were her problem now.

In two days I would be heading off to Spain to start a new life, maybe one even better than the life I had originally envisioned with Maxon.

**What did you guys think? Man, that was a long chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Sorry there wasn't much Maxerica in this, but Maxon is mad, and America is newly engaged. I promise this isn't the end of Maxerica though! Please review, follow, and favorite. Love ya guys!**

**Shout Outs!**

**The Devil Wears Westwood: Kriss totally is a bitch. I hated her in the original Selection too. America may or may not end up with James. I hope you keep reading! I promise more Maxerica in the future!**

**Kiren: Go ahead! Kriss totally deserves it. Whoops, I totally misspelled Marlee's names, that is my bad. I am a total Gleek too! Sorry about the James proposal, I know you are a Maxerica fan, but if you keep reading reading I can promise some Maxerica scenes!**

**KIERACASSRULES: YAY! I am glad you liked the chapter! I kind of figured out you were the same person, but it is good to get confirmation. Thanks so much for reading, in look for your character in a future chapter. I promise she will show up eventually, I just need to find the perfect scene to put her in. I hope you keep reading until then!**

**Guest: It's okay that you don't like James, a lot of people don't. I promise more Maxerica in the future, so I hope you keep reading. **

**Jaewuma: Another Maxerica fan I see! :) Thanks for saying I am an amazing writer! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!**

**going for the win: I can't believe you are trying that hard to read my story! That is super awesome of you! I am not deserving. I am so glad you liked the chapter!**

**idk0: I am sorry that you feel that way. You have to understand that America does like James, but she still loves Maxon. It is going to take her awhile to completely let go, and perhaps she never will. I hope you continue to read the story!**

**PrincessIndia: YAY! I am glad you like the story! I think I have finally figured out who America will end up with, but no spoilers. I hope you keep reading to find out. :)**

**HorseGalFangirl9: I promise that wasn't meant to be a punishment! Maxerica may or may not end up back together, no spoilers. :)**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: I am so happy you loved the chapter! I hope you liked this one too! Thanks for being such an awesome reader!**

**C.F Ryan2: No! Don't be angry! :( I have to agree though King Clarkson is the worst. This chapter probably didn't help too much with feels. I hope you keep reading though!**

**fanficforev: Sorry about the cliffhanger! I hope this chapter helped clear things up for you.**

**And of course my usual shout out to agb1700 who is always more than eager to read a new chapter! She is amazing, awesome, and fantastic!**


	16. Chapter 16- Confessions

**Time to find out some secrets! All characters belong to Kiera Cass, except the ones I created. Happy reading and I love ya guys!**

"America? Are you there?" James says, waving his hand in front of my face.

I shake my head, "Sorry about that. What did you ask?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to have dinner together now?" he asks, staring at me quizzically.

"Of course. That would be great," I smile up at him. He seems pleased with my response and takes my hand.

He takes me to a room that is dimly lit by candles with a single table sitting in the room. "What do you think?" he asks, a hopeful look on his face.

"I love it, but what's the special occasion?" I ask.

"Nothing really, just celebrating my amazing fiance," he says, smiling.

James always seemed to know the perfect thing to say, while I always struggling to find the right thing to say. That would definitely have to be something I would need to work on before I became queen.

"America, I just wanted to let you know how lucky I am to have you in my life. I really do care about you, and I hope you realize that," he says.

"I do know that James, and I do truly care about you," I reply, offering up a timid smile.

A maid comes in to serve us and then leaves us to ourselves. I take a bit of my lasagna, "Wow this is fantastic."

"Why thank you," he chuckles.

"That wasn't meant for you. You didn't cook this," I reply, he really did have a big ego.

"Well actually," he says.

"Wait, you did cook this?" I ask, actually surprised. Could this man do everything? Geez, I had better step up my game.

"Yeah, it's nothing. I just had some time between meetings, and wanted to do something nice for you," he says sheepishly.

"You really are perfect aren't you?" I mumble under my breath.

"Don't worry I am not perfect," he says, clearly having heard me.

"Great, you have perfect hearing too," I mutter. He only smiles back at me.

While we eat we chat a little about Spain, and what I could expect being Princess. When we are finished eating, he stands to escort me back to my room. We walk back in a comfortable silence.

When we reach my room he grabs my arm before I can go back inside. "America, I think you are forgetting something," he says, a slow grin on his face.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" I ask, knowing perfectly well what he wants, but I just want him to say it.

He leans into me and says against my lips, "This." His lips meet mine in a slow deep kiss. He pulls away, opening my door for me. I step in and leave him with one last smile before closing the door.

A couple of minutes later I hear a knock. I sigh, I think I knew exactly who this was. "James, you got your goodnight kiss already. Go to bed," I say while walking towards the door. I open the door and find Elise on the other side looking very uncomfortable.

"Oh Elise! I thought you were someone else," I say, embarrassed about my rantings just a minute earlier.

"I need to talk to you America. It's important," she says, staring down at her shoes.

"Oh, come in then," I say, confused about what could be so important that Elise would need to discuss it at ten o'clock at night. I step aside and let her into my room.

I take a seat on my bed and she sits on the chair in front of my vanity, that Kriss occupied just a few days earlier. I shudder at the memory of my meeting with Kriss, and can only hope my meeting with Elise goes better.

"America I have something to tell you, and you have to promise not to get angry until I finish telling you everything," she pleads.

"Okay, I promise," I respond hesitantly.

"I think you should know that I work for the Northern Rebels. I am the one who sent you the letter warning you about King Clarkson," she says, looking up at me.

"Are you serious? You're a rebel?" I ask, genuinely surprised by her confession. Quiet little Elise was a rebel?

"Yes. I have been working with them since before I arrived here. We have others who are in the palace and they heard about the King's plan to get you to marry James. I wanted to warn you. I didn't know what the King would do if you said no to James. I am so sorry America, but you should know that the Northern Rebels are nothing like the Southern ones. We only want what's best for our nation, but we don't want to get it by hurting people. Please America, you have to believe me," she begs, clearly seeing the hurt and betrayal in my eyes.

"I appreciate you trying to warn me Elise, but I just can't trust you. You are working for the enemy," I tell her.

"Can't you see America, we're not the enemy. We want the same thing as you do. We want the caste system to be abolished," she says.

"I understand that Elise, and maybe one day I can forgive you, but today is not that day. I agree with what the Northern Rebels are doing, but what I don't get is why you decided to tell me you were one?" I question.

"America, we want you to join us," she says, finally looking up to make eye contact with me.

"Elise! You know I can't do that. I may support the cause, but I can't join it," I yell at her.

"I figured you would say that America. I just thought I should ask," she smiles at me.

"I think you should go now Elise. I need sometime to think about all of this," I say, trying to sort out what had just happened.

She silently gets up and leaves me alone to my thoughts.

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Was this what the Southern Rebels had been warning me about? It couldn't be though, Elise didn't want to hurt me, she believed in the same thing that I did. This only made me feel worse. That meant that there was someone else that I couldn't trust. Everyone was hiding things from me, and I just didn't know who I could trust anymore.

I lie in my bed thinking of all of the people in my life. I couldn't imagine anyone else was betraying me, but someone was.

I was startled out of sleep in the middle of the night by an alarm. I shot up in bed and tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes. I was still in my clothes from the day before, and quickly slipped on some shoes before rushing out of my room.

As I run towards the safe room I see Aspen coming towards me. "Oh Aspen, it is so good to see you. Could you escort me to the safe room? I feel so exposed without any protection," I say, running the rest of the way up to him.

"America, I was actually looking for you," he says, grabbing my arm harshly.

"Aspen, you're hurting me. What's going on?" I ask, trying to pull my arm away, but his grip only tightens.

"I am so sorry about this Mer," he says. Before I can reply he places a sack over my head and fastens my hands behind my back.

I start to kick and scream, but it is completely useless. Aspen drags me down the hallway and I hear a door open in front of me. I can feel the crisp night air envelop me as we step outside.

"Good. You got her," an unfamiliar voice says.

"Just get her in the van," another voice says.

I continue to kick and scream, trying anything to get away from my captures. "America, you have to be quiet. We will knock you out if we have to," Aspen whispers into my ear. I lurch away from, sickened by the sound of his voice. He lifts me up by my waist and places me in the back of the van before I hear doors being slammed shut behind me. I am left alone, not knowing where the van was heading.

The one thing I did know was that the rebels had been right, I should be careful who I trusted. I just always thought I could at least trust my oldest friend, and the man I once loved.

**Uh oh. A little bit of a cliffhanger there. Sorry about that. So what did you guys think? Elise is a Northern Rebel and Aspen is a Southern Rebel. If that felt a little bit rushed I apologize. I hope you guys enjoyed. Please review, follow, and favorite. Love ya guys!**

**I think you guys all know what time it is. That's right! It's shout out time!**

**C.F Ryan2: Haha, I love your take! That may or may not happen. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading!**

**PrincessIndia: James will eventually find out about America and Aspen. I am glad you like the story!**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: Thanks for loving the chapter! I hope you liked this one too!**

**Kiren: It is great to meet a fellow Gleek! I am glad you like the chapter, and the couple I created. Thanks so much for reading!**

**ThisGirlActuallyReads: I hope you like the chapter! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!**

**MaxonFiyeroFour: Don't worry there is absolutely nothing wrong with you! James is just a nice guy, even America fell for him a little. Thanks so much for reading!**

**HorseGalFangirl9: No! Not one of my favorite reviewers! Come back to life! I hope you liked the chapter! **

**theoneforeverKCR: Glad you liked the chapter! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!**

**YourBiggestFan: I love your review name! I am so glad you love the chapter! Here is another chapter for ya! ;)**

**going for the win: Thanks so much for reading! Maxon does act like a little girl sometimes. Come on Maxon, get it together! :)**

**Daniluvxx: Maxon is definitely not okay with it, that is why he is having his little temper tantrums. I hope you liked the chapter! Thanks so much for reading!**

**emmary1444: Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Only time will tell. I hope you liked the chapter, even though there was no Maxerica in it. Sorry about that!**


	17. Chapter 17- The Rescue

The van comes to a stop with one final lurch. It seemed like we had been only traveling for a short time, perhaps we were still relatively close to the palace. I hear the doors of the van being opened and a hand closes around my arm. My fight or flight instinct kicks in and I begin to thrash back and forth. It obviously doesn't do much good as I am pulled from the van and thrown to the ground. Someone comes to my side and roughly pulls me to my feet. No one says anything as we walk towards my unknown destination.

After walking for about thirty minutes I hear a set of keys jingle as they are put into a lock. I am pushed through a set of doors and my blindfold is ripped off. I blink, trying to adjust my eyes to the sudden bright light. It seems that I am in some sort of warehouse that has long since been in use.

"Come on Mer," Aspen says, taking my arm.

"Don't call me that," I snarl, yanking my arm away from him. I can't even look at Aspen right now. I follow one of the strangers who was in the van down a series of hallways until we reach a room.

"In here," the man says, lifting his chin at me. I enter the room and I notice a man sitting behind a desk. He turns towards me, and I am struck by how handsome and young the man is. He is probably in his mid-twenties with jet black hair and piercing blue eyes. He notices me staring and gestures towards the chair in front of his desk.

"Pleasure to meet you Lady America," he says, looking me up and down.

"I wish I could say the feelings were mutual," I mutter.

"I had heard that you were quite snarky," he chuckles. "I am sure you are curious about why you are here. I unfortunately cannot tell you that right now, but you will find out in due time."

"Just let me go. I promise you will get nothing by keeping me here," I spit at him.

"Oh, we will just have to wait and see about that. From what I have heard, there are two princes who are in love with you, and would do just about anything to get you back," he says, smirking. He gestures to the man standing at the door and I am dragged down my feet and out of the door.

"Let me go!" I scream. The man reaches up at slaps me so hard across the face that the room around me starts to spin and I black out.

**James' POV**

"Where is America?" I demand, striding towards King Clarkson. "Shouldn't you have better security than this? My fiance is missing for god's sake!"

The King looks at me, apparently amused by my outburst. "I am sure Lady America is fine. You know how she is. Quite the resilient little thing."

I wave the King off and stride towards his son. "How could you let this happen? I thought you loved America!"

He turns towards me, "She is not my responsibility now. Aren't you her fiancee?"

"I know you care about her. Aren't you the slightest bit worried?" I plead.

"Of course I am! Can't you see that I love her! You took her away from me, and I can barely stand to look at you!" he yells at me.

"Then help me look for her then," I suggest. I can see that Maxon hates me, but I am hoping his love for America will win out in the end.

"There is nothing we can do anyway," he says in defeat. "We have to wait for the rebels to leave before we can go and look for her." He walks over from me, his fit of anger clearly over.

**America's POV**

I wake up in a dirty room with a cot in one corner and a sink in another. I am all alone. I slowly stand up, still slightly dizzy from the slap I received. I don't know how long I was unconscious, especially because the room has no window to tell me if it is night or day. I walk to the cot and sit down. Every part of my body aches from sleeping on the floor.

Suddenly the locks on the door click open and I jump to my feet. A girl around my age enters, she is beautiful with blue eyes and blonde hair. She is carrying a tray with food and sets it down on the floor. She looks up to see me standing tensely in front of her. I am not sure if I should attack her and make a run for it, or wait until I figured out what the place is like before making an escape. I decide on the latter, and just stare at the girl with my arms crossed.

"Lady America," she says, while curtsying mockingly. She slams the door behind her and I pick up the tray from the floor. I notice a packet of aspirin and take it willingly. My head is killing me and I decide to lie down and save my strength for whatever lies ahead.

**Maxon POV**

The minute the guards comes down to tell us that it is okay to go back up, I go running towards the stairs. When I reach the doorway one of the guards stops me. "Sir, I think you need to see something," he says solemnly.

**America POV**

For the second time that day I hear the familiar sound of keys unlocking the door to my room. The man who I escorted me to my room earlier enters and tells me to stand up. He handcuffs my hands behind my back and takes my arm. We walk down the twisting hallways to a dimly lit room. The man, who I assume is the leader of the Southern Rebels, sits in chair, just like I found him earlier. Instead of behind a desk, he sits in front of a tool chest full of menacing tools.

"Perfect timing Lady America. We were just about to get started," he says, with an evil sneer.

"Started with what?" I ask, scared about what his response will be.

"Oh you'll see," he says, winking at me.

**Maxon POV**

"This video was sent to us a few minutes ago. I think you need to watch it," he says, pressing play on the television set.

The video starts and the first thing I see is my beautiful America tied to a chair. I can tell that she is scared, but she is trying to hide it from the man standing in front of her. The man turns around and looks at the camera.

"Prince Maxon, as you can see I have your precious America with me at the moment. You can of course have her back, but that will require certain actions on your part. If you haven't guessed we are the Southern Rebels, and we need somethings from you. We require an armored truck filled with weapons, food, and medicine to be delivered to this address," he says holding up a piece of paper with a street number on it, "at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon. If we do not receive our payment you will never see your precious America again." The camera is moved away from the man, but before I can shut if off I hear a piercing scream.

"Who gave this to you?" I demand.

"We found it, sir. It was sitting on the front steps of the palace, with a note that said, 'Watch me.'

I had to get America back, I loved her with all of my heart, and the thought of her suffering ripped me apart from the inside out. I couldn't just give in to the rebels though, I had to be smarter than that.

**America POV**

I have never been in so much pain in my entire life. The King's whipping didn't even hurt this much. I am back in my room. My body is covered in bruises and cuts. It hurts too much to even move. I know what the Southern Rebels want, and I can only hope that Maxon doesn't give it to them. I can't risk other people getting hurt, just to save me. I could endure the torture if it means keeping innocent people safe. I groan as I shift on my uncomfortable cot.

Just as I am finally about to fall asleep I hear a commotion coming from down the hall. I slowly sit up and make my way over to the door. I try to peak through the tiny window situated in the door. The hallway looks completely empty, which is strange since I always had a guard stationed at my door.

"What is going on?" I wonder out loud.

I hear something bang against my door and I step back. The banging continues and finally the door gives in from whatever was putting pressure on the other side of it. The door clangs onto the ground, and the person who steps through the door, is the only person I wanted to see.

"Maxon? What are you doing here? I ask, blinking away my shock.

"I am here for you love. I couldn't just leave you here," he says, with his usual handsome smile.

I run towards him, ignoring the pain that is coursing through my body. He envelops me in his arms and draws me in for a passionate kiss.

Being in his arms felt like home, but the moment we break apart I remember his embrace shouldn't make me feel like that. James was my home now, not Maxon, but how could anything that felt so right, be so wrong?

**There is a little Maxerica in there for ya Maxerica fans! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! More details about how Maxon found America in the next chapter. Thanks so much for reading! Please review, follow, and favorite. Love ya guys!**

**Shout Outs!**

**TheoneforeverKCR: I am glad you like the change of pace, I was a little nervous about it. Sorry about the lack of Jamerica in this chapter, but I hope you still enjoyed it. Thanks for reading! Oh! The rebel girl I described is your character, but she will be in it more later, I promise!**

**C.F Ryan2: I hope you enjoyed the Maxerica I promised you. Thanks so much for reading!**

**HorseGalFangirl9: Hopefully this chapter brought you back to life! **

**going for the win: I could never kill of America! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)**

**Kiren: Sorry, but I just had to make Aspen a rebel. :( At least here is another chapter for you!**

**YourBIggestFan: Awww, thanks that means a lot. I can't believe you actually look forward to reading my story! That is so awesome of you.**

**EWhisks: I am glad you like the story! I hope you continue to read and enjoy. :)**

**1234dont step on me: Haha, I don't think most people did. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**PrincessIndia: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! :)**

**glorystar12344: I can do that for you. It may be in a later chapter, but it will happen. Thanks so much for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18- The Collision

**I am so sorry for not updating yesterday! I suffer from headaches sometimes, and I had one yesterday, which prevented me from writing. Sorry about that, but I am back!**

"Are you okay?" he asks, looking me up and down. The minute he ask pain rushes through my body and I fall to the ground, unable to support myself. I feel Maxon lift me up into his arms and he takes off running. I can hear him shouting to the guards, "I've got her! We have to get out of here!" Finally the exhaustion and pain that I am feeling wins and I sink into unconsciousness.

I wake up in a hospital bed with someone holding my hand. I sit up expecting to see Maxon sitting next to me, but I am greeted by James' shy smile.

"America, how are you feeling?" he asks groggily. He had clearly been by my side since I was in the hospital.

I struggle into an upright position, "Okay, I think. I'm still pretty sore."

"That's understandable, you came in here covered in cuts and bruises. I could barely recognize you," he says sadly.

"How did Maxon find me?" I ask. James shifts in his seat, he is clearly uncomfortable talking about Maxon.

"He said something about a tracking chip in your bracelet," he says, glancing down at my wrist.

I had never removed the beautiful bracelet Maxon had bought me some weeks ago. I look down at it, glad more than ever that I decided to continue to wear it. Maxon was always trying to keep me safe, in ways that I didn't even know about. James stands up saying that he was going to go find a doctor.

While I am waiting for the doctor to come I hear a soft knock on my door. I yell for whoever it is to come in. King Clarkson strolls in, closing the door behind him.

"America, glad to see that you are doing well," he says, appraising me up and down.

I pull the sheets up higher, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh dear, I was just so concerned about you," he says, stepping closer to my bed. "We are so lucky that Maxon found you when he did. We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to the future Queen of Spain."

"Please, you don't care about me," I say, glaring at him.

"That's true, but I do care about our alliance," he smirks.

"Well you know I live to please you," I say sarcastically.

"Enough with the chit chat. I know that my son still loves you, and my guess would be that you still love him. Perhaps the fate of your country is not enough to keep you engaged to Prince James, but perhaps the fate of your family would," he says, smiling wickedly.

"What are you talking about?" I demand.

"Let's just say that I have some guards that are very reliable. They will do anything they ask, including killing your family. As a matter of fact, I believe your little sister May is still in the castle, perhaps I should start with her," he says, staring me dead in my eyes.

"You wouldn't dare!" I shout.

The door bursts open and James stands in the frame. "I think you should leave King Clarkson. You are clearly distressing my fiance, and she has already been through a very painful ordeal," he says, barely concealing his anger.

"Don't worry young prince, we were just talking," King Clarkson says, not taking his eyes off of me.

"It sounded like a lot more than talking, and I suggest you leave right now," James says, stepping out of the door frame to let the King past.

"I guess I had better go then," the King says. He gives me one more knowing look before leaving my room.

"What happened?" James asks.

"He just wanted to know what happened when I was kidnapped and if I recognized anyone. It just brought up some painful memories," I say, barely covering up the fright left in my voice.

"If you say so," he says, not believing me, but no wanting to press me either.

The doctor then comes in and checks me over, when he takes one look at my back he asks James to leave. "Young lady, what happened to your back? There are some partially healed marks on your back that were clearly not put there during your time held in captivity," he says, looking at me over his spectacles.

"I fell down the stairs and a piece of wood scraped my back," I say, looking down at my hands.

He nods his head knowingly and finishes his examination. I wonder how much he knew about what the King does to his own son. He didn't seem that surprised about the scars of my back. It is almost he knows about the King's horrendous actions and expects them. Although Maxon never had the doctor look at his back, he must have become suspicious because Maxon is constantly needing bandages and antibiotic cream.

"All right Lady America. You should be okay to return to your room, but return here tomorrow so that I can change your bandages," he says, throwing away his gloves.

After the doctor leaves James comes into my room wheeling a wheelchair. "Who's that for?" I ask.

"You of course," James says smiling, knowing that I am going to put up a fight.

"I can walk," I say stubbornly.

"I don't doubt that you can, but better safe than sorry. Besides the sooner you get into this wheelchair the sooner you can back into your own room," he says. James always seemed to know the right thing to say to me to have me do something. I sigh and take a seat in the wheelchair. He wheels me down the halls of the hospital wing and we take the one escalator in the palace to my floor. All of a sudden I feel his hands tighten around the handles of the wheelchair. I turn around to see a mischievous grin spreading on his face.

"What are you doing?" I ask, gripping the handles of my wheelchair harshly. He smiles down at me and takes off running pushing my down the hallway. I let out a girlish scream and begin to laugh hysterically. Tears stream down my face from laughter. When I am at my fastest speed someone steps out from around the corner and right into the path of the chair. James' tries to stop the cart, but it has too much momentum and crashes right into Maxon.

"I see you are feeling better Lady America," he says, frowning when he sees James standing behind me and clutches his knee where the chair hit him.

"Yes, I am. I just wanted to thank you for saving me," I say, trying to draw his attention away from James.

"It was my pleasure," he says, nodding politely at me.

He begins to stride down the hallway when I call to him, "Maxon, I have to tell you something!"

He turns around and seems to hesitate before he comes back over. "What is it?" he asks.

"Aspen is the one who kidnapped me. He is one of the Southern Rebels. I just wanted to let you know just in case he comes back," I say.

"Who's Aspen?" James asks.

A delighted grin crosses Maxon's face, "Oh you didn't know? Aspen is the man that America loved before me. He was stationed as a guard in the palace, and America had an affair with him while he was hear. I am surprised she didn't tell you, seeing what a great one week relationship you two have had."

"Maxon! How could you say that?" I exclaim. Seeing the look of betrayal and anger on my face he looks as if he immediately regrets what he had said.

"I'm so sorry. That just kind of slipped out," he says, although it clearly didn't.

"America is this true? Why didn't you tell me about this before?" he asks, a look of hurt on his own face.

"I meant to James, I just kept forgetting to. Please don't be mad at me," I plead.

Maxon looks at James expectantly, hoping that James will get mad at me for keeping such a big part of my past from him. Instead James surprises all of us by chuckling, "It's okay. I don't tell you about all of my past girlfriends either."

"Wait how many have you had?" I ask, suddenly curious.

"Don't worry, only one true girlfriend. The rest were just flings," he reassures, kissing me on the top of my head.

Maxon groans and storms off, clearly upset about James' lack of response to my confession.

"What's with him?" James says, looking at Maxon.

"I just think it's his time of the month again," I say with a chuckle.

**Did you guys like it? It was more of a filler chapter. Thanks so much for reading. Please follow, favorite, and review. Love ya guys!**

**Shout outs!**

**theoneforeverKCR: I am glad you liked the chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one too. I am especially glad you enjoyed your character!**

**hahahahaha: They did make a run for it, just in this chapter instead. :) And they may or may not end up together. **

**YourBiggestFan: I love the word snarky! Glad you liked the chapter. Thanks so much for reading!**

**Kiren: Don't blow up on me! I hope this chapter helped. Thanks so much for reading!**

**going for the win: Trust me I wouldn't be able to either. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**C.F Ryan2: So glad you loved it! I am hope you love this chapter too!**

**Blondie115: I know! Aspen is such a traitor! I don't Clarkson ever feels bad about anything he does. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**theselectionqueen: :)**

**HorseGalFangirl9: Yay! I don't want any dead readers on my hands!**

**Fanficforev4427: Haha, your friend Cameron has good taste in couples, and if you are turning into her than you must have good taste too. Thanks so much for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19- The Goodbye

**What?! I can't believe I haven't updated in two days! I feel so bad! I just had no ideas for this chapter, but I hope it came out okay. Of course all characters belong to Kiera Cass, besides the ones I made up. Enjoy!**

Today was the day that I would make my journey to Spain. After getting ready I go to find my sister. When I reach her room I hear voices on the other side talking. I press my ear against the door, and as soon as I do the door swings open, causing me to stumble in.

"Well, well, well, look who was eavesdropping," James says, smirking down at me.

"What are you doing in here?" I ask, brushing myself off.

"I was just getting to know my future sister in law. I will leave you guys to it though," he says, kissing me on the cheek before leaving.

"Ames, James is like super nice!" May exclaims.

I laugh, "I'm glad you like him. He is going to be your new brother after all."

"Guess what he told me?" she says eagerly. I can tell that it must be good news, based on the fact that she is about to shiver right out of her skin.

"What?" I ask, pretending not to be interested.

"He said I could go to Spain with you guys! Isn't that great news!" she exclaims, jumping up and down.

"That is great May. What about school and your art?" I ask, trying to be the big sister in this situation.

"James said he would hire a tutor and that I could have all the art supplies I want. It's going to be so amazing Ames," she says, running up to hug me.

I hug her back. "I'm glad to see you have it all worked out."

"Maybe I will get to meet some cute Spanish boys," she sighs longingly.

"We'll just have to wait and see about that," I say, uncomfortable with the idea of my little sister dating anyone.

"Ames, you are so overprotective," she grumbles.

"That's my job," I tell her, ruffling her hair.

She pulls away, "Ugh, I hate it when you do that."

"Sorry, I can't help it. It is my job as your big sister to be overprotective and still treat you like a child," I say, grinning knowing that I am annoying her to no end right now.

"Whatever." she says. All of a sudden a look of panic crosses her face. "Oh my god, I totally forgot. How are you? What happened? What did they do to you?" she asks frantically.

"May," I say grabbing her shoulders, "I'm okay, just a little bruised. Maxon found me just in time."

"Wait, Maxon found you?" she asks, giving me a knowing look.

"Yes." I say, very uncomfortable with where this conversation may be going.

"What happened when he found you?" she asks, arching her eyebrows.

"Nothing, I passed out from exhaustion." I say, my eyes darting around the room.

"Ames, I can tell you are lying. You can never make eye contact when you are lying. Come on, spit it out," she says, placing her hands on her hips.

"We kind of kissed," I mumble.

May gasps, "You did what?!"

"We kissed," I repeat.

"Ames! You are getting married! You can not be kissing another guy, especially the Prince of another country," she scolds.

"I know that May. It just kind of happened," I say, crossing my arms.

"Do you still love him?" May asks.

"I don't know. I think I do, but I think I am falling for James too," I groan.

"Well you made your choice, you are just going to have to live with it," she says, nodding her head.

"When did you get so wise?" I ask.

"Since you started to make stupid decisions. Now go I am meeting Lacy in a few minutes," she says, shooing me out of her room.

I begin to walk back to my room mumbling about my rude little sister. When I reach my bedroom door, I notice Queen Amberly down the hall. I decide that I should have a real conversation with her before leaving the palace once and for all.

"Queen Amberly!" I call.

She turns around, "America dear, I have been meaning to talk with you. Why don't we go to my office?"

"That would be great," I tell her. She leads me down a series of hallways, greeting guards and maids as she passes them. Queen Amberly was exactly the Queen I want be. She is kind, generous, and intelligent. I could see why King Clarkson chose her. It was probably the only wise decision he had made in his entire life.

She opens the door to her office and she leads me over to a sitting area. "So dear, are you looking forward to going to Spain?"

"I am. It will be nice to have a change of scenery. I have never been out of the country before," I inform her.

"America, I want you to know that I am going to miss you greatly when you leave. I think of you as a daughter, and I always thought that you and my son would make a remarkable team. I know it didn't work out that way, but I will always care about you," she says. I can honestly tell that she is sad to see me go, and it breaks my heart a bit.

"Thank you, that means a lot," I tell, taking her hand in mine.

"You will make a fantastic queen one day," she says, tears forming in her eyes.

"I don't know if this is proper royal custom, but I am going to hug you know," I say. She nods her head and smiles at me. When I hug her, I can see how much she cares for me, and how she is like a second mother to me. She pulls away, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"You should go. You have to catch your plane soon," she says, patting my knee.

I give her one final smile before exiting. I go back to my room to see if my maids need any help packing. I am not looking forward to that goodbye.

When I enter my room my maids are all huddled up, whispering excitedly to each other.

"What's going on in here ladies?" I ask.

They break apart and turn to look at me. "Tell her Lucy," Anne says, smiling.

"We are coming with you to Spain!" Lucy exclaims.

"You're what?" I shout.

"We get to come with you. Prince James talked to Queen Amberly and she said that she would let us go," Anne explains.

"That is great news guys!" I exclaim. I run over to them and pull them into a group hug. Maybe life at the new palace would be easier than I thought. Not only was my sister coming with me, but all of my beloved maids as well. Anne was of course the one who broke apart the hug, informing us that we had to finish packing because I was leaving in an hour.

We chatted away happily as we packed up the last of my things. Soon it was time to go. My maids left to carry my luggage downstairs. I look around my room one last time, remembering all of the memories there. I sigh and turn off the lights before exiting my room for the last time.

When I enter the foyer everyone is waiting to say goodbye to me. I walk over to the girls in the Selection first. I give Elise a hug and nod politely at Kriss and Celeste. I then head over to the Queen, who pulls me into another hug. The next person in line is the King. We stare at each other for a few seconds before he nods his head at me.

Maxon then steps forward and envelops me in his arms. Before we break apart he whispers into my ear, "This isn't over. I haven't given up on you." He pulls away and steps back next to his father.

What was Maxon talking about? I thought he was going to marry Kriss. What if Kriss had been lying all along? Did I make a mistake by saying yes to James?

James calls me over to me and takes my hand. I had everything I could ever want, a great guy that cared about me, and a fantastic life ahead, but what if it wasn't the life I wanted?

**There is another chapter for you guys. America is doubting her choices, and Maxon is not giving up on her. Find out what happens next on The Fight for Love. Please review, follow, and favorite. Thanks! Love ya guys!**

**So I stole this idea from AcademicGirl. She always has questions for reviewers to answer, and I thought that might be fun to do.**

**This was one of the questions on her story, and I loved it so I thought I would ask you guys it too. A big thanks to her for the question!**

**Question: If my story became a TV show/movie, which actors should play my characters?**

**Shout outs!**

**morgan: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading! :)**

**theoneforeverKCR: I am glad you found that line funny. I thought it would be something that America would say. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

**going for the win: I am so happy that you loved the ending! So far no more headaches, which means more chapters!**

**agb1700: Aww, you are so sweet. I miss ya too! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I am doing awesome! How are you? Lurve ya!**

**ClaceMaxericaSizzy: First let me say, I love your username. I ship all of those couples. I am glad you love the story!**

**Kiren: Hehe, America can be so snarky at times! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**YourBiggestFan: James is super nice! I do feel bad for Maxon though. I hoped you liked the chapter!**

**C.F Ryan2: He doesn't anymore. He had to release America from the Selection when she said yes to James. I am so glad you love the story!**

**je suis la fille en feu: Don't worry a lot of people want her to end up with him. Thanks so much for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20- Truth or Dare

**All character belong to Kiera Cass, besides the ones I created. Enjoy!**

The plane ride is filled with May jabbering incessantly in my ear. I nod and smile every once awhile to hopefully convince her that I am listening to her. I am finally able to excuse myself when Lacy comes over to talk to May. I can hear their girlish giggles as I walk further towards the back of the plane.

"America, I was just going to come up and see you!" James calls, when he notices me walking towards him.

I collapse into the seat next to him, "May wears me out."

James pats me on the knee, "I feel the same about Lacy. I sent her up front to talk to May, thinking that if you were experiencing the same thing I was that you would need a break."

"Thank you. I was about to die up there," I sigh, leaning back into my seat.

"We should be in Spain in another couple of hours," James says, peaking out of the window.

"I feel like we have been on this plane forever," I groan.

"I will just to find something to entertain my princess," James sighs, scratching his head.

"You don't have to do that," I tell him.

"It would be my pleasure," he says, smiling at me. All of the sudden he jumps up. "I have the perfect idea!"

He runs back up front. "Where are you going?" I call after him.

After two minutes he returns with two very eager girls behind him as well as my three maids. What could he have in mind that would involve all of them?

"Miss America, are you ready for the ultimate game of truth and dare?" James asks, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Truth or dare? On an airplane?" I ask, doubtfully.

"Please Ames, can we play?" May asks, using her infamous puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, but things can't get to crazy. Your parents are only twenty feet away James, and I don't want them to think that I am so kind of weirdo," I tell him firmly.

"I make no promises," he says, smirking happily.

"Who's first?" Lacy asks eagerly.

"I think it should be James, since this entire thing was his idea," I reply, smiling at all the ideas I have for James.

"Bring it," he says.

We all take our seats, and the game begins. My maids all look uncomfortable playing a game with the people they work for, but I give them a reassuring smile. "All right, your highness. Truth or dare?"

"Dare of course," he replies.

"I dare you to go tell your mom that you changed your mind about me, and instead want to marry Celeste," I tell him. A look of horror crosses his face. "Go on now. This was your idea after all."

He groans and slowly stands up from his seat. He walks towards his parents like a man on his way to his execution.

"Ames! I can't believe you were so mean!" May exclaims.

"He'll be fine," I say. I wouldn't let him get into any real trouble.

We sit in silence for a few minutes before I hear a commotion further up front. "You what?!" I hear Queen Isabella scream. "That horrid girl we met at the palace, you love her?"

I try to hold in my laughter, but it soon breaks through. Queen Isabella whips around to look at me, "You find this funny?"

"It was only a dare. He doesn't actually mean it," I inform her. She lets out a sigh and slaps her son in the arm.

"How could you do that to me? I almost had a heart attack," she says to her son.

All of the girls surrounding me are all quietly laughing. "Sorry mom, it was just a joke," James says, slinking back to his seat. I can even see the King trying to hide a smile. The Queen scoffs and turns back around in her seat.

"Your turn America. I am just going to remind you that you totally asked for it," James says, taking his seat next to me back.

"Go ahead, I'm totally ready," I say, leaning back into my seat.

"Truth or dare?" James asks.

"Dare," I reply.

"Alright, I dare you to kiss the pilot," he says, crossing his arms, apparently very pleased with his dare.

"Are you sure you want me kissing another guy?" I ask, arching my eyebrows.

"Well, seeing that the pilot is at least sixty years old, I don't really see him as much of a threat," he says, with a knowing smile.

"Easy peasy," I say, with a confidence that I didn't even know I possessed. When I start to walk down the aisle everyone starts to follow me.

I reach the pilots door and knock on the door. "Who is it?" I hear a masculine voice call out.

"Flight attendant," I reply, knowing that he wouldn't open the door if he knew it was me.

"Oh, come on in," he replies. I open the door and enter the cockpit.

When he sees me he says, "You're not a flight attendant."

"Nope, I'm not," I say, while walking towards him.

"We really don't allow passenger in here," he says, clearly uneasy.

"I'll just be a minute," I reply. I lean down and place a kiss on his lips. He jumps back out of surprise. "Thanks, that's all I needed. By the way you are doing a great job up here," I say. He stares back at me and struggles to find his words. I walk confidently out of the door and close it behind me.

James begins to clap, "Nicely done."

"Thank you," I say, curtsying.

May and Lacy are standing next to James smiling. We are about to return to our seats when we hear a voice being cleared behind us. We all turn around to see the Queen tapping her foot.

"What are you guys up to now?" she asks.

We all crack up and run back to our seats. "I think it's May's turn," I say, turning towards her.

"I'm not scared. I will do a dare too," she says, trying not to show how scared she actually is.

"I dare you to put on a blindfold and go into the plane's kitchen and whenever you grab has to be all mixed together and eaten," I tell her.

A grimace crosses her face, "That's disgusting. Can I have a truth instead?"

I shake my head, "Sorry May, you said dare, and now you have to do it."

I reach into pouch on my seat and pull out one of the complementary eye covers they give you. I slip it over May's eyes and lead her into the kitchen. "You have to pick up seven things," I tell her. She begins to search the kitchen, bumping into everything as she goes. After several minutes I tell her she can take her blindfold off.

We return to our seats with a plastic cup and all of the ingredients May picked up. I search through the ingredients and find that she grabbed mustard, a small carton of orange juice, pepper, salt, cheese, peanuts, and a small bag of pretzels.

James begins to laugh, seeing the spread of items in front of me. I begin to mix up all of the ingredients, and when I am done the color of the liquid is a dark brown. When I say liquid it is more of a liquidy sludge. May gags just from the sight of it. She grimaces and plugs her nose. She puts the cup to her lips and chugs the entire thing.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see my maids all looking at May with a look of pity and disgust. Lacy on the other hand thinks the entire thing is hilarious and is giggling behind her hand. As soon as the cup is empty May stands up and runs towards the bathroom. Of course to get there she has to run past the Queen.

"That's it! You guys are acting like children! You are all done with this stupid game," she shouts, striding towards us. James and I are still laughing from May's reaction, and can't compose ourselves enough to look serious in front of the Queen.

"Okay mom, we'll stop. I promise," James says between laughs.

"Why did you say we would stop?" I ask, actually having fun with the game.

"I didn't want her to be too mad. Besides the pilot just put on the fasten seat belt sign, meaning we be landing in ten minutes," James says, still smiling.

May finally comes back and sinks into her seat, "I hate you guys," she mutters.

**What did you guys think? A little bit of fluff for you guys. Please review, favorite, and follow. Love ya guys!**

**Question: What is the best dare that you have heard of?**

**Shout outs!**

**theoneforeverKCR: That wasn't the last of Maxon though! I am so glad the story makes you happy, that fact makes me happy! :)**

**going for the win: Sorry, no insight into what Maxon means yet, but I hope you enjoyed the fluff.**

**C.F Ryan2: Ugh, that sucks about your crush. That has happened to me before too. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**agb1700: I love your story! Aww, I am flattered you think I am a good writer. Thanks so much for reading!**

**Kiren: I love your cast list! I thought that's how May would sound. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**


	21. Chapter 21- The Arrival

**I know, it has been way too long. I have been super busy. I went on a college tour and I have been hanging out with friends, but I am back. I really hope you enjoy the chapter. All characters belong to Kiera Cass, except for the ones I created. If you are still with me, I want to say thanks! :)**

The plane doors open and I hear people screaming my name outside. I look at James in confusion. "People heard you were going to be here today and wanted to see their future queen," he says, wrapping his arm around my waist.

We step outside into the sunlight and I can see crowds of people waiting for us. James wraps his arm around my waist and we walk down the cleared runway. I see a young girl standing off to the side holding a poster that says, "Prince James and Princess America Forever!"

I pull James over to the girl and bend down to speak with her. "Hi, what's your name?" I ask.

"Jamie," she says grinning.

"It's nice to meet you Jamie," I tell her.

"I can't believe I'm meeting our new princess!" she exclaims.

"Well, I'm not your princess yet, but I promise I will be soon," I say. One of the guards comes over and tells us that we have to finish up our chat.

"It was great talking to you Jamie," I say, pulling her into a hug. James leads me away, but I sneak one last glance at Jamie and see her talking eagerly to a woman standing behind her, who I assume is her mom. We finally reach the limo that is waiting for us and I slide in followed by James. May is sitting inside talking excitedly with Lacy.

"I can't believe the number of people who came out to see us," May exclaims. "A really cute guy even gave me his number!"

"May, you can't just take random people's numbers. You don't know anything about him," I explain to her.

"Gosh America, you are no fun anymore," she says rolling her eyes.

I laugh to myself and lean back into James' arms. "America's just looking out for you May," James tries to explain.

"I know, but she is a serious buzz kill sometimes," she mumbles.

"I have to admit he was pretty cute. If you don't want his number I will definitely take it," Lacy says, examining her nails.

"You must certainly will not," James says sternly.

"See how lucky you are May? At least you're not stuck with an overprotective big brother. At this rate I will never have a boyfriend," Lacy grumbles.

"That sounds great to me," James sighs.

The limo heads turns to the palace, followed by James' parent's limo. The sights that we pass are all beautiful. James tries to explain some of them to me, but there are so many that he can't go into much detail. "I promise one day we will go have a tour of the city," he whispers into my ear.

"I would love that," I whisper back, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. He turns towards me and pulls me into a deeper kiss. His hands tangle with my hair and my arms loop up around his neck. All of the sudden we hear the sound of gagging. We break apart to see May fake vomiting.

"You guys seriously need to get a room," she says, crossing her arms. I roll my eyes and try to fix my hair.

"Ugh, the last thing I want to see is my brother sticking his tongue down his fiancee's throat," Lacy says with a smirk.

The limo finally stops and I look out the window to see the most beautiful palace. It is more of a castle than a palace. The front is surrounded by a beautiful garden filled with sculptures and several fountains. I gasp at the sight and hear James chuckle beside me. "This is your house?" I exclaim breathlessly.

"It's your home as well now," he says taking my hand in his squeezing it gently. The driver comes over and open up our door. The King and Queen pull up behind us. James leads me up the path to a beautiful stone door. He pulls it open to reveal a foyer with a marble floor and walls painted in gold. Two staircases lead up the stairs and many rooms branch off from the foyer.

I hear several voices coming from one of the rooms. One of them is obviously male. "I flew all the way out here to surprise him and he is not even here?" the voice says.

"Oh no," James says, burying his face in his hands.

"What?" I ask, confused of what could be making him so upset.

"You'll see," James says.

At that exact moment a young man around my age enters the room. He has pale blonde hair and bright green eyes. "Ahh, there you are. I was told you wouldn't be home for another few hours," the young man says, walking towards us.

"Peter, nice to see you again," James says. "What are you doing here though?"

"I couldn't stay away from my best friend for too long, and I also had to meet his new mystery lady," Peter says, finally noticing me standing next to James. "I can see why you picked her, she is gorgeous," he says appraising me.

"She is more that just looks, and she just so happens to have a name," I say stepping towards Peter.

"Ohh, a fiery personality as well. I like it," Peter says happily.

"Peter, this is my fiancee America. America this is my best friend Peter, who also just so happens to be the Prince of England, and a royal pain in my butt," James says.

"Pleasure to meet you, your highness," I reply, curtsying.

Peter waves my curtsy off, "You don't have to do any of that curtsying nonsense. I don't act like royalty, therefore you don't have to treat me as such."

A young girl's voice floats out from the same room Peter had just came from. "Peter where did you go?" she calls.

"In here sis," Peter calls back. "Just hanging out with our favorite Prince and his future Princess."

One of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen enters. She has long jet black hair and aqua eyes. For some strange reason a wave of jealousy sweeps over me and I hold on tighter to James' hand.

"This is my twin sister Alice, but we act and look nothing alike," Peter says, rolling his eyes.

"You must be America. I saw your speech on the Report, and I must admit it was rather immature," she says, looking me up and down.

"Yes, I have been told so many times, but usually by stuck up assholes. I guess I could see you fitting right into that category though," I reply snarkily.

Her mouth opens in shock and she storms off.

Peter break outs in laughter, "I don't think my sister has ever been told off like that before. That was completely priceless."

"Is she usually like that?" I ask.

"Only when she sees someone else as a threat," Peter replies.

"Why would she see me as a threat?" I ask, confused on how anyone could see me as a possible threat.

"You have some serious balls and just happened to be engaged to one of royalty's hottest ex-bachelors," Peter explains.

"Well, I can't argue about that," I say, reaching up to place a kiss on James' lips.

As soon as our lips meet May and Lacy enter, along with the King and Queen. "Ugh, I really wasn't kidding when I said to get a room earlier," May groans.

"Peter, I didn't know you would be visiting. Are your mother and father here with you?" the Queen asks, looking around the foyer.

"Nope, just me, my sister, and our little brother, who should be around here somewhere," Peter responds.

"Please excuse us, it was a long flight," the King says, escorting his wife up the stairs.

"You have a little brother?" Mays asks eagerly.

"Yes, he is right around your age," Peter tells her.

"He is super cute too," Lacy says to May.

"Then what are we still doing here? I need to meet this cute Prince," May says, pulling Lacy up the stairs.

"I swear I don't know what I am going to do with that girl," I mutter.

"Oh, I should probably tell you something else about Alice," Peter says uncomfortably.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

"She has always kind of been in love with James, and since you are engaged to him, she probably hates your guts," Peter says, shrugging.

"Great, will the drama never cease?" I groan.

**Thanks so much for sticking with me guys! I love all of ya guys! The best dare I have ever seen was one of my friends was dared to drink a sip of toilet water.**

**Question of the Day: What is the best comeback you have ever heard or read?**

**Shout outs!**

**theoneforeverKCR: I am glad you thought it was funny, it was fun to write! I am sure the pilot was pretty surprised. I love you for loving the story!**

**Kiren: I love truth or dare too! Sorry about the wait for the update!**

**going for the win: I loved the Queen's reaction too! Thanks for being such a faithful reader. **

**C.F Ryan2: I love the dare you mentioned! It sounds hilarious! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**agb1700: It is so great to have your support and feedback! You are an awesome reader! Love ya!**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: I loved reading your dare, it made me laugh! Thanks so much for reading!**

**EruditeAbnegationMockinjay: I am so glad you love the story! I always love getting new readers!**

**HorseGalFangirl9: Yay! I love making people laugh! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**

**Kellyzoie123: Here is the new chapter you requested. I hope you liked it!**


	22. Chapter 22- Water Works

**All characters belong to Kiera Cass, except the ones that I created. Thanks for reading!**

"You never told me that were was a totally gorgeous princess that just so happened to be in love with you," I tell James, scowling up at him.

"I didn't know she actually felt that way about me," he says, scratching his head.

"How could you not tell? She basically flings herself on you ever time she sees you," Peter says, chuckling to himself.

"Great!" I exclaim, throwing my arms in the air. "I thought I was done have to compete with other girls."

"There's no competition that I see," James says, smiling at me. I smile back at him and feel my usual blush start to build.

"I wouldn't quite say that. Alice is used to getting what she wants, and James is no exception," Peter says hesitantly.

"Well I guess it's time Little Ms. Alice learns a hard lesson; sometimes we don't always get what we want," I reply, flipping my hair over my shoulder.

Peter laughs, "I'm starting to like you more and more by the minute America. I think this just happens to be the start of a most beautiful friendship."

"Peter leave her alone. The last thing I need is for your bad influence to pollute my beautiful America," James says, stroking my hair.

"I think your beautiful America is more than capable of handling herself," Peter says, shaking his head as he walks away.

"Let me show you to your room," James says, leading me over to the stairs. He leads me down a series of halls. I notice the portraits all over the walls, each one depicting a different generation of the royal family. All of the sudden a thought hit me. One day my picture along with James' would be on the wall. I would one day rule a nation and be responsible for all of its people. I can barely hold back a shudder at the thought of it. For a second I even think that maybe Alice would make a better queen than me, but it only lasts for a second because let's face it, anyone would make a better queen than Alice.

James stops in front of a series of doors and looks very uncomfortable. "Ummm, are we going to go in?" I ask, confused by his sudden hesitation.

"There's something I have to tell you before we go in," he says, staring down at the ground.

"Oh yeah, and what's that?" I ask, extremely curious about the mysterious secret.

"I don't know if you know this or not but your room is right next to mine, and just so happens to share a door with it," he says, rubbing the back of his neck.

I burst out laughing. "What's so funny about that?" James says, looking extremely surprised by my reaction.

"Of course I already knew that. It was the exact same way in Illea," I tell him.

He let's out a breath, "Oh thank god. I didn't want this to be awkward for you at all."

"It's okay. I'm sorry I laughed, it's just that your so innocent and sweet, it's different. Don't get me wrong it's a good different," I tell him, kissing his cheek.

He chuckles, "Well, I guess I will just let you settle in. Dinner will be served in a couple of hours."

I nod and smile at him before entering my new bedroom. The room is incredible. The walls are painted a pale pink and in the center of the room is a giant king sized bed, completely covered in different throw pillows. I immediately run over to the bed and flop down on top of it. I could definitely get used to this.

I actually manage to fall asleep for a little while before I am roused by my maids. "Ma'am we created something special for your first dinner at the palace," Lucy says, walking over to my closet. She pulls out the dress and all I can do is stare back at it in awe. The top is strapless with a nude bodice with an overlay of black lace. The waist is belted and is tight across my hips. Down to my knees the skirt is nude with some lace cut out designs, and past that the dress falls into black.

"This is completely gorgeous," I tell my maids, tears welling up in my eyes.

"We thought you could show that Alice just how pretty you are," Mary says, with a glint of hate in her eyes. I laugh at her statement, this dress really would show Alice who the next Queen of Spain was going to be.

Soon after getting ready James comes to my room to escort me to dinner. When I answer the door his door almost hits the floor. "Do you like it?" I ask, spinning around to show off my dress.

"Like it? You look beautiful, I love it," he says, clearly in awe of what my maids have created. I giggle at his state of shock. I take his arm and we head to the dining room.

When we enter I see May and Lacy talking quietly at one end of the table. Peter looks up when we come in and lets out a wolf whistle. I of course immediately turn bright red. Alice sneers at me from her spot at the table. James leads me to a seat next to Queen Isabella.

"How are you enjoying the palace so far dear?" the Queen asks.

"It is really beautiful," I reply honestly. It is true that I had never seen something as lovely as it before, and was proud to now call it my home.

Dinner is served and I talk to both James and the Queen. As I am eating my dessert I feel a leg brush mine under the table, I look over at James thinking that it is him, but he seems completely enthralled with his piece of cake. That's when I notice Alice sitting across from James with a small smile on her face. I clear my throat, "Excuse me Princess Alice, but I think you are playing footsie with the wrong person. Although, I don't think you should be playing footsie with anyone at this table."

She turns bright red, "You must be imagining things," she stammers out.

"Well, unless the palace has a rat problem that I don't know about, I think that was your foot brushing mine," I tell her, giving her one of my fake sweet smiles. She mumbles something to herself and continues to eat her dessert in silence.

"What just happened?" James asks, completely clueless to the events that just took place.

"Don't worry about it babe," I say, patting his knee.

After dinner James escorts me back to my room, where I quickly fall asleep.

The next morning I am awakened by a very slobbery kiss. "Ugh, James what are you doing?" I mumble in my asleep voice. I open my eyes to be greeted by a giant Great Dane. I shriek and scoot back further into my bed. This does nothing to deter the dog, who proceeds to climb into bed with me. James, having heard my shriek, comes running into the room.

"I see you met Goliath," James says, smiling.

"If this is Goliath, then yes I have," I say, gesturing towards the dog who is currently trying to climb into my lap.

"Sorry about that. He must think you are just as beautiful as I do," James says, walking over to pat the dog on the head.

"He is pretty cute," I say, rubbing the dog on his belly.

"Now that you are up, I have a little surprise for you," James says, jumping off of the bed.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't like surprises?" I exclaim.

"Well I happen to love them," James cheekily replies.

"What is this time?" I ask, hoping for the best.

"We are going to a water park!" he shouts.

"And who is we?" I ask, wanting to know more specifically about one person.

"You, me, May, Lacy, Peter, and Peter's brother Jack," James replies.

"Great, then I can't wait!" I say, scurrying out of bed, pushing the giant dog off of me.

"We leave in an hour, so don't take too long getting ready," James calls, before exiting m room.

After showering and brushing my teeth, I look through my closet and find a coral bikini with a white coverup. I braid my hair in a simple fishtail braid, and apply a small coat of lipgloss. I exit my room and knock on James' door. He comes out wearing a t-shirt and swim trunks. I have to admit I can't wait until he loses that t-shirt.

"You ready to go?" he asks.

"Ready whenever you are," I reply.

"We just have to go pick up everyone else and then we can go," he says, taking my hand.

We head to the foyer where everyone else is already waiting. We head out to the waiting limo. After a short drive we arrive at the water park. The place is rather busy and I am afraid that we will be swarmed by a mob of people once they realize who we are.

We head to the gates and purchase our tickets. I whisper to James, "Won't people recognize us?"

"I don't think they except the future King and Queen to be hanging out at water parks," James replies. "Besides we have several guards in regular clothes stationed around the park."

May follows Jack around trying to flirt with him. Lacy seems to have more of a sisterly relationship with him. Jack flirts right back with May, and actually seems to be interested in her. I will just have to keep an eye on that.

We head over to the locker room area where we all strip down to our bathing suits. I sneak a peak at James, and can't help but admire his chiseled chest and abs. Peter notices me staring and winks at me.

Jack, May, and Lacy head off to do things by themselves, claiming that we aren't fun enough to hang out with.

Peter, James, and I head over to one of the water slides, which boasts a two story drop. I am a little afraid of heights, but James pulls me up the stairs, followed close behind by Peter and I know there is no way of escaping this. We finally reach the top and sit in the inner tube. The lifeguard running the ride pushes us down and as soon as we take off I let out a scream. We plummet down the slide and before I can let out another scream we are at the bottom.

Peter and James are both cracking off at my reaction. As soon as I manage to stand up I cross my arms and storm off. James runs off after me and grabs me around my waist. "Don't me mad," he pleads, with his puppy dog eyes.

I roll my eyes at him, "Fine, but no more laughing at me when I scream."

"Deal," James replies, taking my pinky with his own. Peter catches up to us and we go over to the wave pool next. When the first wave comes I am pushed back and a giant man rolls over me. I stand up sputtering water. Leave it to me to be run over by the one giant person in the wave pool. Out of the corner of the eye I think I see someone familiar. I turn around to get a better and swear that I see Aspen walking off somewhere. I immediately exit the pool and take off after him.

When I reach the spot he was just standing in there is no one there. I look around trying to find him, but he has disappeared. James and Peter come up behind me. "Why did you take off like that?" James asks, questioningly.

"I thought I saw someone I knew," I reply, still confused by what I just saw.

"I think your just hallucination because your hungry. Come on let's go get something to eat," James says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. He leads me over to one of the food carts and orders me an order of cheese fries, which he knows are my favorite junk food. We sit down at a table and I scarf down my food.

"I'm thinking that maybe your Prince should try his hand at one of the games," Peter says, trying to get James to engage.

"I could win any game here," James replies, of course taking the bait.

"Want to bet?" Peter replies.

"Sure. I win you have to go down the water slide naked. If you win, which you won't, I have to go down a water slide naked," James says, ready to take on the challenge.

"Deal, but I get to pick the game," Peter says, looking at all of the games surrounding us. "I have just the one," he says, standing up and walking over to one of the booths. It is one of the booths where you have to climb the rope ladder and reach the top.

A small smile crosses James' face and he walks over to the man running the booth to pay him. James walks over to the ladder and climbs the entire thing with ease. While he is doing it a crowd gathers to actually see someone beat the seemingly impossible game. James dismounts the ladder and accept the giant stuffed walrus from the man. He walks over to me and hands it to me. All of the sudden one of the girls in the crowd shrieks, "OMG! It's Prince James and Lady America!"

James takes my hand and takes off running, Peter following close behind us. Two men walk towards us and surround us, I assume they are the guards that James talked about earlier. "James, someone has to go get May, Lacy, and Jack," I tell him frantically.

James tells one of the guards to go find them and we continue to run towards the car. The stupid walrus keeps getting under foot, but I refuse to drop it because it just so happens to be absolutely adorable. We eventually reach the car with a crowd of people running behind us. I begin to worry that something happened to May, but I soon her red head pushing through the crowd towards the car. Once Lacy, May, and Jack are in the car we take off towards the castle.

"Well that was fun while it lasted," Peter says, out of breath from running.

When we reach the castle the King and Queen are waiting in the foyer for us, and the Queen does not look happy. "Where were you guys?" she yells.

"You didn't tell her we were going out?" I ask James.

"He most certainly did not!" the Queen exclaims.

"Sorry mom. I just wanted America to go out and have some fun," James says sheepishly.

"Do you even know what could have happened to you out there?" she continues to screech.

"Isabella calm down," the King says, trying to sooth her. The Queen storms off in a huff with the King right on her heels.

"That went better than expected," James says.

"How could it have gone worse?" I ask.

"She could have actually killed me," James says.

I laugh, but James looks deathly serious. Remind me to never get on Queen Isabella's bad side.

We all decide to retire to our rooms after such an adventurous day. After I change into jeans and a top I hear a knock on the door. I go over to answer it and of the palace's maids hands me my things that I left at the water park. I thank her and close the door. As I go to put my things in the laundry a piece of paper falls out.

_Mer,_

_I know you think you're safe, but you're not. Please trust me. _

_~ Aspen_

**Gosh that was a long chapter! I thought I would treat you guys after receiving so many fantastic reviews. Keep them coming! I also promise that Maxon will be showing up very soon! Please favorite, follow, and review. I love ya guys!**

**Best comeback that I heard from a movie would have to be, "It's not Halloween anymore, you can take the monster mask off."**

**Question: If you could see anything happen in the story what it would be?**

**Shout Outs!**

**Kiren: I am so glad the update brought you back to life! I can't go losing one of my best readers! I totally hate Alice too!**

**YourBiggestFan: I feel bad for America too, and I am the one writing the story. Peter is pretty awesome, he is so un-princely!**

**KoalaKoas: That is not bad at all! A lot of people actually feel that way! I am so glad you like the story!**

**agb1700: The tour was absolutely amazing! Thanks for asking! I agree with you about Alice! Aww I am so happy that you think I am an amazing writer! Love ya!**

**going for the win: I am so glad you loved America's comeback! It is actually pretty hard to come up with them. I am so glad you love the story!**

**Blondie115: Haha, that comeback had me laughing. I actually really like the name Alice too, no one is named that anymore. I am glad you like James!**

**EruditeAbnegationMockinjay: Maxon will definitely be making an appearance in Spain! Thanks so much for reading!**

**The Devil Wears Westwood: Maxon will be making an appearance very soon, I promise. By the way, I love your story! I am so honored that you are reading mine!**

**Princess India: That is so true! America would not be America without all of her drama!**

**PEETAMELLARKLOVER123: I always get comebacks from my family too! Thanks so much for reading!**

**idk: James has hazel eyes and chocolate brown hair, and tan skin. Thanks so much for reading!**

**Theoneforever: Yay! I am so excited you got an account! Feel free to PM me any time! I am so glad you like the story!**

**C.F Ryan2: I would say that I definitely have some more rebel stuff in store. ;) Maxon will also be visiting very soon!**

**Kellyzoie123: I know, it has been a while. Thanks so much for sticking with me!**

**HorseGalFangirl9: I love the Vampire Academy Series! Thanks so much for reading and saying that it was amazing!**


	23. Chapter 23- Pure Embarrassment

**HEY! I can't believe it has been almost two months since I have updated! I feel super bad about that, but here is a new chapter. If you are still with me in this story I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy the new chapter! This chapter does have a little PG-13, but nothing too serious. **

I drop the paper with a gasp and feel tears beginning to brim in my eyes. One of the reasons I had left Maxon was so that I could be safe. The tears start to well up in my eyes and I sink down to the floor. A knock sounds on the door that separates my room from James'. The door slowly creaks open.

"Sorry to bother you America," James says, pushing open the door. The minute he catches sight of me weeping on the floor he rushes over. "America! What's wrong?" he asks, sweeping me up into his arms. He notices the piece of paper in my hand and gently takes it. After he finishes reading it a look of horror crosses his face.

"America, we need to show this to my father immediately," he says, brow furrowed with worry. He lifts me up into his arms and carries me out of my room.

Peter is walking down the hall when James exits my room and immediately spots us. My face is pressed into James' shirt, staining it with my tears. Peter walks over to us, clearly sensing that something is wrong.

"What happened?" he asks, clearly confused about the entire situation.

James hands Peter the note from Aspen. The same look of horror that had crossed James' face only moments earlier, crosses Peter's.

"Who's Aspen?" Peter questions.

"He was America's ex-boyfriend who works for the Southern Rebels and was responsible for her kidnapping," James replies.

Hearing James' words bring back flashes of memory of my time in captivity. The pain of the beatings I took, and the sense of hopelessness I felt. I begin to hyperventilate and my tears intensify.

"America! Breathe, you have to breathe," James says, trying to wipe the tears out of my eyes.

I try to steady my breath, but it only makes things worse. "We have to get her to the doctor now," Peter says. "She's having a panic attack."

As I sink into a state of unconsciousness I feel James' feet pound against the floor as he runs.

It feels like I have been asleep for days when I finally begin to wake up. I can hear voices all around me. I feel a pair of lips brush against my cheek. "Maxon," I sigh.

"No America, it's James," he says, sweeping the hair out of my face. "You've been out for a little over a day. How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," I reply, finally opening up my eyes. James chuckles in response.

I notice a tray with food sitting in the corner of my room. "Is that for me?" I ask.

A smile spreads across James' face, "Good to see your episode hasn't messed up your appetite at all."

I smile back at him as he walks over to get the tray for me. When he brings it back I quickly begin to scarf down the food. "Whoa, slow down there. I wouldn't want you to choke," he says laughing.

I stick my tongue out at him and continue to eat. "So fill me in on what happened since I embarrassingly passed out."

"Well, I told my dad about the letter and he agreed to double the security for the palace," James replies, taking away my tray.

I nod my head in agreement with the King's decision. "Next question, when can I get out of this be?" I ask, giving him my best puppy dog eyes.

He chuckles in response, "The doctor said as soon as you feel able to."

"Great! I'm able to right now," I reply, hopping out of bed. As soon as I do I realize I am wearing one of those stupid hospital gowns with the exposed backs, and my pink underwear are on display for James to see. I was hoping that he didn't notice, but the way that he is staring at my butt, makes me think otherwise.

"Hello, my eyes are up here," I say, waving my hand in front of his face.

"Sorry," he says, shaking his head. "Let me take you back to your room so that you can get changed."

He takes my arms and begins to lead me down the hall. Just when I think I am in the clear from sparing myself anymore embarrassment I hear a voice calling from down the hall, and I groan.

"Nice underwear!" Peter calls from behind us. I roll my eyes and turn around. "Never took you as a thong kind of girl, Lady America!"

I cross my arms across my chest, "And what kind of girl do you think I am?"

"I always pictured you as a granny pantie kind of girl. You just seem so modest," Peter says, smirking to himself.

"Looks like you don't know much about me then," I reply, turning back around and sauntering down the hallway, clutching my gown closed in the back. As I walk off I can hear both James and Peter laughing behind me at my exit. James catches up to me just as we get to my room.

"What do you want now?" I demand, a little bit hurt that he laughed at me.

"Don't be mad at me," he pleads, pouting his lips playfully. I rolls my eyes and stretch up to give him a kiss.

"I forgive you," I say as I break away. Before I can get into my room James grabs my arm.

"By the way," he says, "You should wear underwear like that more often."

I can feel my face heating up. I gesture for him to come closer. Just as he does I step back and slam the door in his face.

I can hear him mutter behind the door, "Women."

I laugh and head over to my closet to change. I pull out a simple pair of light-wash jeans and a soft white sweater. I change quickly and slip on a pair of light brown boots to complete the look. I catch sight of the clock and notice that it is almost lunch time. Even though I just ate, skipping meals just wasn't my style. I was just lucky that I had a good metabolism.

I open the door to my room and look down the hall before exiting my room. As I walk towards the dining room I notice that the number of guards has definitely increased.

The doors to the dining room are already open and I enter. The set-up is very different than the palace in Illea. It is just one table, big enough to seat everyone, but small enough to actually allow you to feel connected to the person next to you. Everyone is already seated when I enter and I go to take the empty seat next to James.

"Look who decided to join us," Peter says, noticing me walking to my seat. I groan internally knowing that any attention from Peter tends to lead to trouble.

"Always a pleasure to see you Peter," I say with a grimace.

"I also see that you decided to change clothes. What a pity, I quite enjoyed the view before," Peter says, trying to embarrass me in front of everyone.

"Careful Peter, she is my fiancee," James says, shooting him a warning glare. I take my seat next to James and kiss him softly on the cheek.

"What was Lady America wearing earlier?" the Queen asks, curious about the entire situation.

Before I can try to answer her Peter cuts in, "Let's just say that Lady America isn't as wholesome as she may seem."

Peter just so happens to be seated across from and I manage to discreetly kick him in the shin. "It was nothing, your majesty. I just was wearing my hospital gown," I reply, smiling at her, while Peter clutches his leg under the table.

"Are you feeling better Ames?" May asks from her seat next to Jack. I see that they have gotten much closer. I was going to have to keep an eye on that.

"I'm feeling much better May," I reply, offering her a reassuring smile. Suddenly, I feel something bump me from across the table, thinking that it's Peter I look up to shoot him a glare, but find that he is talking with Alice. Just then a giant dog head peaks out from under the table, and I immediately recognize James' dog Goliath. I begin to laugh and James looks for what I am laughing at.

"Goliath! What are you doing under there?" James asks, reaching down to coax the big dog out from under the table. As soon as Goliath is out from under the table he tries to climb into my lap. What was with this dog and not understanding how big he really is.

"What is with everyone trying to get with my fiancee?" James says, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

I laugh as I stand up to prevent Goliath from actually crushing me. He takes this as an invitation to play and takes off to go grab one of his toys. He brings back a giant stuffed pig that he drops at my feet. I shrug and pick up the toy to throw for him.

When Goliath runs off I turn to James, "I just can't help it if guys find me so irresistible." I bend down and place a soft kiss on his lips before going off to find where Goliath went off to.

As soon as I exit the room I hear James excuse himself from the table. I slow down that so he can catch up to me. When he reaches me he grabs me around my waist and pushes me up against the wall. He places kisses me up and down my neck and I moan in pleasure. Not to be outdone by him, I grab his chin bringing his lips to mine. Our kisses become more and more fevered until I forget that we are making out right in the open.

"I don't mean to interrupt," a voice says from behind us. We quickly break apart and I try to fix my hair as much as possible. The King is standing there awkwardly. I seemed to have thing where I always get caught by guy's parents.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you both," the King says. We both nod and he leads us to his office.

When we arrive he tells us to take a seat. "I have some news that make you both a little uncomfortable."

"What is it father?" James asks.

"Well, we have yet to work out all of the finer details of the treaty with Illea," the King replies, staring down at his hands. I could see where this conversation was going and my stomach began to sink with a sense of dread.

"And?" James asks, sensing that he would not like his answer.

"I invited King Clarkson and the rest of his family to the palace for a few days just so that we can work things out."

"You have got to be kidding me!" James exclaims. "You invited my fiancee's ex-boyfriend and all of his girlfriends to the palace!"

"I really am sorry about this, but it has to be," his father responds with a tone of authority.

James throws his hands up in the air and storms out of the room.

"I truly am sorry about all of this," the King says, patting my hand gently.

"It's okay. I understand that you don't have a choice," I say, offering up a small smile, trying to reassure him.

Maxon was coming. Maxon, the man who I still loved. Maxon, the man who was engaged to another woman. My Maxon.

**What did you guys think? Cliffhanger! I wanted to make sure that the story was a little exciting especially after since a long break. I really hope you enjoyed. I miss you guys so much! Love ya! 3**

**Question: Who is your favorite character in the story?**

**Shout outs!**

**PrincessIndia- That Aspen! Always causing problems. Alice really does suck! Peter is just the classic best friend. I hope you enjoyed!**

**Kiren: I love dogs so much they just had to be in the story. America really should watch her back. I hope you enjoyed!**

**Kellyzoie123: I am so glad you liked it!**

**going for the win: Because Aspen is the worst and he will never go away easy. I hope you are still reading!**

**Guest: Yay! What a cool thing to have an addiction to!**

**Guest: Check out next chapter for Maxon! **

**Blondie115: Peter is a rather acquired taste. :)**

**Theoneforever: Aspen is just a naturally creepy guy. I am so happy you love the story!**

**HorseGalFangirl9: I love your suggestion. Going to have to work that in the story. Thanks so much for reading!**

**Guest: Ahh! Many people have fallen for James, I think its because he is just a generally nice guy. Definitely some Maxon coming up!**

**smile: Maxon will be back sooner than that. :)**

**glorystar360: Aww, I can't believe you love my story that much. Don't worry Maxon is coming back! :)**

**Hannah: Here is that update you have been wanting. I am so glad you like them together!**

**EruditeAbnegationMockinjay: Well, since you begged. :)**


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